


Something a little different

by KouRei (ShinkengerRedBlue)



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: I use a bunch of other idols, I'm not going to list them all - Freeform, M/M, Mafia AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-08-16 20:23:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 59,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16502090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShinkengerRedBlue/pseuds/KouRei
Summary: Chae Hyungwon is a simple rookie model who is getting plenty of attention from his good looks and excellent work ethic and his little brother Changkyun is ending his college years while trying to become an underground rapper. They seem like the perfect family except for the fact Hyungwon runs the biggest mafia in Seoul, and is doing it with style.





	1. Monday the 1st

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't going to post the first chapter until I had ten ready, but Monsta X just had to be amazing and win 4 days in a row. So here's to their 4 wins and for my baby Minhyuk's birthday!

Hyungwon sipped his wine, crossing his legs as he watched Changkyun try and get their television working again. Changkyun kicked the side of the tv, swearing as his toe hit the corner of the tv. “Fucking tv! Why can't we get a new one again?”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes, setting down his glass before getting up. “Because we just got this one three weeks ago and the only reason it's not working is because you're the one who accidentally set the side of it on fire.” He reached down, smacking the back of the tv, the screen immediately coming alive with the evening news. “If you want to get another tv, you have to pay for it.”

Changkyun whined, “But Hyung...you know how hard it is to make money as an unknown underground rapper.”

“Unknown? How about completely new at it. I told you get a side job while trying to get your name out there.” Hyungwon grabbed the remote out of Changkyun's hand, changing the channels until he got to the music channel, where he could watch idols dance and sing their hearts out. “Just get that waiter job at Hyuna's restaurant until you can save a little.”

Changkyun sat down next to Hyungwon, cuddling into his hyung's side. “I know you're trying to teach me responsibility but like can we try that with a puppy and not the tv? It's not like we don't have enough money.”

“Just because I'm the head of one of the most powerful mafias in the country, doesn't mean I spend my money like I drink water. Once I feel you know responsibility, I'll start giving you an allowance, just like I had when I was growing up.” He patted Changkyun's head. “So get a job and maybe, just maybe, I'll match whatever you make and we'll get a better tv. Now what do you wanna eat before my meeting tonight? I need something tasty because I have a feeling this meeting is going to be long and boring.”

Changkyun hummed, his face going a little flat. Hyungwon checked his phone, mindlessly answering some texts before glancing back at Changkyun. “How about pasta? With some nice garlic breadsticks and a good red wine?”

Hyungwon rubbed his stomach, nodding. “That sounds good. Go let Seulgi know we're eating on the balcony and I'm going to go take a quick shower. See what Hyunwoo hyung is doing and tell him to come eat.”

Hyungwon watched Changkyun scurry away, his soft brown hair slightly bouncing in the air. Ever since he rescued Changkyun from a rival gang's attack on his house, the young man had really brought color into his home. He went up the stairs by the living room, stretching his shoulders and arms as he nudged his bedroom door open with his foot. Ignoring the various clothes on his floor, Hyungwon just added more as he stripped down and left them where he stood. He debated on what to wear to the meeting, not wanting to put on leather but he needed to look serious, even if his members knew when to take him seriously.

He went with his favorite white trenchcoat with a beige sweater and dark blue jeans. Nice and sophisticated, just what he wanted. So he jumped into the shower, lathering himself with his green apple body wash and shampoo, really liking the way it smelled. He toweled himself off with a black towel, throwing it into the hamper before shimmying on some black briefs. Lotion and bb cream were applied on his face before he slipped on his clothes. Hyungwon didn't bother with shoes, slipping on his black slippers before making his way to the balcony that was attached to his study.

Changkyun was already there, stuffing his face with a forkful of pasta. His innocent face as he looked at Hyungwon, made him laugh. “Are you competing with squirrels with those cheeks? Slow down before you choke. Where's Hyunwoo hyung?”

“Busy getting stuff ready for your meeting. Said he'd eat afterwards.”

Hyungwon sat down across from Changkyun, picking up a napkin and setting it in his lap. “Sounds good. Now ready to graduate? I know you're tired of having paper after paper.” He swirled some pasta onto a fork and brought it up to his mouth, blowing on the hot pasta before eating it. “I remember when I graduated. Dad bought me a new Ferrari and we traveled across the world for a month. It was wonderful and then I took over the gang and it's been smooth sailing since.”

Changkyun's eyes widened. “Does that mean I get a Ferrari and get to travel the world when I graduate?” Hyungwon shrugged his shoulders, “If that's what you want but you only get one shot to ask or else I get to choose. But answer my question, you ready to grad?”

Changkyun hummed, moving one shoulder. “Everything's good. I just wish that professors would stop trying to assign stuff at every moment. I mean, I've got everything done so all that's left to is to pass my classes, walk the stage and never back again.”

“That's good.” Hyungwon took another bite. “Gonna go to any parties? BamBam told me that his club was rented out for a big private party by that fraternity that tried to recruit you. Are you gonna go? If you don't want to go alone, I'll lend you Jungkook.”

Burping loudly and wiping his mouth with his napkin, Changkyun grinned. “I heard that fraternity got into contact with Juri noona, so I probably won't go. You know drugs aren't my style and you know she only deals the good shit. But I did get invited to Boram noona's party and she's cute, so I'll probably go. I don't know if I want Jungkook to come with me because you know he attracts all the attention even when you know he's totally crushing on Seokjin hyung.”

Hyungwon set his fork down, gulping the last of his red wine. “I keep telling Seokjin to give the boy a chance but he says a doctor and cop relationship is so cliché. So for now, he'll keep Jungkook at a distance and I say it'll take Jungkook coming into his ER to change his mind so I say give or take another month. Since I'm sending Jungkook on that weapons deal on Saturday, I'll have Seokjin on standby and make him worry all at the same time.”

Changkyun chuckled, leaning back on his chair. “You're so evil hyung. Do you have anyone else that won't steal all the girls from me?”

“I can either give you Jackson or Youngjae hyung but you know that if Youngjae goes, so does Daehyun.”

“But Jackson still attracts all the girls and those two will only make out with each other unless I need something.” Changkyun pursed his lips in thought, “Can I have Dongwoo hyung? He's just dinosaur enough to drive most girls away.”

Hyungwon laughed, slapping his hands on his knees. “I'll let you have Dongwoo but if Howon is available, he'll probably try and come along. And if that happens, I need to let Sojin know so she can make sure paparazzi stay away from the party and so Howon is disguised properly. You know she hates it when we spring stuff up on her so last minute so let me know as early as possible.”

“Got it.” Changkyun peeked at his watch, sighing when he saw the time. “I gotta go, Minah wanted me to go and pick up glitter glue for the poster due Thursday. If I don't hurry, she'll blow up my phone and god that girl's annoying.”

Hyungwon smiled, “Just leave, I gotta go to my meeting anyways. Hopeful Hyunwoo didn't pull out many contacts to go over. I wanna get to bed a normal time. Be safe and call me if you need something.”

Changkyun nodded and left Hyungwon's study, leaving Hyungwon to grab his briefcase and his wallet before moving out of his study. Leaving his apartment and making sure he locked the front door, he went to the underground parking and went over to his Audi. He loved his car, black as a raven and as silent as a panther, this car had been with him through thick and thin. It was a bit much since the meetings took always took place in Hyungwon's office building about thirty minutes away but Dad had always taught him to keep personal and business separate, just in case shit went down. And to make sure your car was ready to go fast and hard.

Hyungwon's office building was a modest fifteen stories tall but each floor dealt with a legal business he controlled, while the basement was where his gang dealt with their business. He parked his car, giving his keys to a car attendant. The elevator Hyungwon used had a special hidden panel that held the button for the basement, which wasn't on any floor plans. He pressed the dark blue button, biting his lip as the elevator started moving. He wondered what would be on the agenda for today. He knew he had some modeling contacts to review as well as some new drugs hitting the market.

When the elevator opened, Hyungwon went through the only set of doors and sat down at the head of a long rectangular table, setting his coat on the shoulder of his chair. On his right was Hyunwoo, his assistant Namjoon, Taehyung, BamBam, and J. Hope. And on his left sat Sojin and her assistant Sehun, then came Jungkook, Ailee, and Hyuna.

Hyunwoo was Hyungwon's chief advisor, helping Hyungwon with whatever he needed, as well as teaching his little successor Namjoon for the day when Changkyun stepped up to lead. Taehyung, BamBam, J. Hope, Jungkook, Ailee, and Hyuna were his captains, the ones who made sure stuff got done and reported back to him. Lastly Sojin was his one of his specialists, specifically dealing with the connection between Hyungwon's underground business and his legal businesses. So she basically made sure nothing went wrong with either, just like a personal assistant. Sehun was her successor for when she retired. It irritated Hyungwon that he didn't have a second in command but he just hadn't felt like anyone just filled that position of trust and cleverness he knew it needed.

Once everyone saw him, the small talk stopped and Sojin sat up in her chair, a stack of papers in front of her. Hyungwon sighed in relief when he saw the small food on the table, knowing that when there was food, the meeting wasn't going to be too 'mafia-like'. Hyungwon picked up a little cucumber sandwich and motioned to Sojin to start the meeting.

Sojin stood up, smoothing out her baby pink skirt before motioning to the white board behind her. “Now that his majesty has arrived, we can begin. I'll start with official business. For this month we have seventeen events that we must focus on. I'll only go with the first eight since they happen within these next two weeks and the next nine in our next meeting. First off I have contracts for Ailee, J. Hope, and Hyungwon. For Ailee and Hyungwon, they have offers regarding commercials and product endorsement and J. Hope has an offer to perform his choreography for an upcoming idol group. I'll leave the details in your respective emails and I want a response within a week.”

Sojin checked off her list on the whiteboard, setting some papers down on the table before moving on. “Next is regarding that weapons deal on Saturday, not really legal but Jungkook I know you have leads on rumors about a new gang who's looking to get those weapons as well. Get with Sunhwa and see if those rumors are true and I want you to get in contact with Narsha and get the police off your track just in case.” Sojin flicked a piece of paper across the table towards Jungkook, who stopped it with a finger. He nodded and kept munching on his sandwich.

“Now BamBam, I hear that a fraternity rented your club for the night.”

BamBam flicked the hair out of his face and sighed, leaning his face against his hand. “Yeah but I don't know if I want immature boys and girls in my club.”

The table bursted out into laughter with J. Hope smacking his hand against the table. He grinned at BamBam, coughing a bit from the laughs. “BamBam you are an immature boy, just with a lot of money and lots of sex appeal.”

Hyungwon hummed, sipping his water as BamBam fluttered his eyelashes at J. Hope. “I heard from Changkyun that the fraternity got the good stuff from Juri noona. So unless you want a newbie calling the police, you might want to do something.”

BamBam and Jungkook sighed while Sojin shook her head. “BamBam talk to Juri unnie and see which boys and what drugs they got from her. If it's the small good stuff, Jungkook will run diversion if they call. If not I'll have Sehun attend the party and make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Hyunwoo leaned in, his fingers intertwined. “Is Changkyun going to this party?” Hyungwon shook his head. “You know drugs aren't his thing.” Hyunwoo nodded, satisfied. “In that case, send Taeyang in as well. Both Sehun's looks and Taeyang's will distract many of the girls.” Namjoon nodded, writing down on his papers. “How about Hyukjae? His dancing would surely impress the girls.”

Hyuna and Ailee nodded, with Hyuna raising her hand. “If I had a dime every time my eyes have landed on Hyukjae and got distracted, I'd have at least 11000 won, 22000 maybe.” Ailee giggled, “And me at least twenty too. That boy has great muscles.”

Sojin wrote Sehun, Hyukjae, and Taeyang's name next to BamBam's name and checked it off. She hesitated before quickly drawing a muscle Taeyang on the board, smiling at the chuckles she got. Taehyung sat up as his name was next on the board and waved his hand at Sojin, “Can I say the next piece of business?”

Sojin nodded and Taehyung winked at her. “Thanks noona. Next week the daycare is going to have an open house to show off my babies and their art. It's going to be great except for the fact that recently there's been a weird man hanging around the daycare. I want Chanyeol and Hani to come by as temporary teachers who are trying to get a feel for teaching babies so they can scope the guy out.”

Sojin checked her phone, scrolling through her schedule and notes. “Chanyeol is good to go but Hani is busy until Thursday. So I'll let her know tonight and see if she feels up to the job. But other than that you can have them, right Hyungwon?”

Hyungwon nodded, his eyes trained on Taehyung who smiled. “Thanks hyung. By the way we got a new daycare teacher and he's so cute. But other than that, I'm done.”

“Creepy strangers aside, I have requests from Sunggyu and Hyukjae. They want to collab where they make a book with a soundtrack, kinda of like a kids read-a-long book except for adults. Sunggyu wants to make a book about a romance that spread across time and for Hyukjae to make a deep and emotional playlist.”

Sojin handed copies of Sunggyu's outline and Sehun opened a laptop. “This is Sunggyu's idea. He was thinking about a young woman who has dreams about a man who lives in a different time period and lives her life dedicating things to him and then in the future the man finds them and feels anguish over a love he never got to know. For this book, there are five samples of tracks that could be included.”

Sehun played the first track for everyone, a sad soft song that Hyungwon found himself wanting to cry. The piano and violin seemed to tug at his soul while a trumpet dug him deeper. He nodded and Sehun moved to the next track. The next sample was a brighter one, with an addicting drum beat and guitar solo. It reminded Hyungwon about the day he finally felt safe in the world, finally felt like he was alive. When he felt happy for once in his life.

Taehyung tapped his fingers to the beat while Jungkook and J. Hope bobbed their heads to the music. Hyuna's face was blank while Ailee was smiling. BamBam reached for another sandwich, inspecting it while smiling at the guitar solo. Hyungwon looked over at Hyunwoo, raising an eyebrow. He got a nod in response and Hyungwon knew he didn't need to listen anymore. He rubbed his fingers together, motioning for Sehun to stop the music. “I've heard all I need to know. Tell Sunggyu and Hyukjae to go ahead and make this suggestion to them: see if they want Seungyeon to illustrate some of the pages. I like where this is going and I want the first copy.”

Sojin nodded, putting a star next to Sunggyu's name. “Alright the next two items are intertwined as Taemin is releasing his new jewelry collection that he made with Jiyoung, and at the same time Gyuri is preparing a very fancy dinner for the after party. So Taemin would like for all of you to come so he can show off the pieces he created with each of you in mind, because if not, he has asked for a very high quality photo of any of us. I have the invitations here so I'll get to clearing your schedules for that day.”

Hyuna grinned, “I wouldn't mind seeing how beautiful they made us look in jewelry talk. I bet I'm adorned with rubies and diamonds.”

BamBam shook his head, pursing his life. “Noona you're so cold that I bet you're all obsidian and pink diamond while Jungkook is obviously sapphires, J. Hope is tots topaz, I'm amethysts, Ailee is emeralds, Hyunwoo is aquamarines, Namjoon opal, Taehyung is diamonds, Sojin and Sehun are rubies, and lastly Hyungwon is so moonstones or something that shiny and pretty.”

The table grew quiet and then everyone nodded, BamBam was pretty spot on. Hyungwon coughed, his cheek a little pink from being called pretty. “We're all going since it'll look good for Taemin having such high end clients. What's the last thing on the legal agenda?”

Sojin grinned, “Why the budget for Changkyun's birthday party and his gifts. Youngjae made a budget for the types of plans you sent him last week. He calculated how long it would take in your private plane, the expensive and fancy food you would service, where we would go and how long we would stay. Right now the choices are Greece, Paris, Japan, Australia, and Spain. Or if you want to stay here in Korea, he calculated the most expensive party you would throw him. In any occasion, he's got the budget from 50,000 to 75,000 grand.”

Hyungwon smirked, liking how this was turning out. Jungkook and Taehyung moaned, Jungkook pointing at Hyungwon. “Man I would just ask for a new car at that rate with how easy you're willing to spend money. What are you going to get him as a gift?”

Hyunwoo handed a piece of paper to Hyungwon. “I had Hyunwoo interrogate Changkyun to see what he wanted and here's the list he came up with: A new guitar, some recording equipment, a Gucci watch, and some new cologne.”

Ailee raised an eyebrow, “That sounds just like what Hyungwon would want except for the recording gear. But then again Hyungwon would want a hot guy in his bed right?” Hyungwon raised his hands up, “I cannot deny the appeal of a hot guy in my bed, especially if they are super masculine. Like that shit is soooo good. I'm just glad Changkyun has good taste.”

Hyuna's hand shot up into the air, “I choose Spain. The Latin culture and food would do Changkyun some good and I heard the guys were super hot. “

J. Hope and Ailee raised their hands, “Seconded!” Hyungwon turned to Taehyung and Jungkook, “And you guys? Because at this rate, we're going to Spain and I'm fine with that as long as I bang a hottie later.”

Taehyung shrugged his shoulders, “I don't care where we go because I know we'll have fun wherever we go. Is everyone going to go? Like the whole family?” Jungkook nodded, seconding Taehyung's opinion.

Hyungwon turned to Sojin, who nodded. “Everyone is invited and obviously not everyone can go but in any place we go, we are going to rent an entire hotel. But Youngjae has already budgeted in case everyone does go. Then the budget goes from 50,000 to about 750,000. That's about 21,000 a person.”

Hyungwon rubbed his fingers together. “Sounds good either way. I'll hint it to Changkyun tomorrow and see what he thinks of Spain. So I'll text you tomorrow Sojin about it.” BamBam clapped his hands when Hyungwon stopped talking, moving his shoulders up and down. “Can we please get to the good stuff? I'm ready to hear the plans for our seedy underground family.”

Sojin rolled her eyes. “Alright Mr. Hot Pants, keep your wig on. First on our illegal agenda is that we have ten new people wanting to join out little family.” Sojin handed out packets with pictures of people's faces on each page. “Those packets have their backgrounds, likes and dislikes, and how they heard of us and why they want to join.”

Sojin wrote ten names on the whiteboard, girls in black marker and boys in blue markers. “Hyunwoo and I have already gone through these and wrote little notes on which ones we liked and which should be rejected. We'll go through them all and then Hyungwon can choose which ones are in.”

Hyungwon looked at the first page, a smiling girl looking back at him. “She looks wild.” And she did, with bright blue hair and a big grin, Shin Jimin looked like trouble but good trouble. “Likes to go skinny dipping during full moons and loves Pomeranians. Sojin where do you get these girls from?”

“If you kept reading, it says she needs a job to pay her mother's hospital bills and she heard about us from Seokjin.” Nobody looked at Jungkook's goofy face, “Shin Jimin would be an excellent addition due to her background in film production since you wanted to dip your toes into making pornography. She even comes with her own equipment.”

Taehyung snickered, his hand covering his mouth. “You sound like a door-to-door salesperson, trying to sell a bright ass purple blender to Hyungwon.”

Sojin snapped her fingers, “I would sell hundreds and you know it. Now after Shin Jimin is Yoon Bora.  
She heard mentions about us from some of her dancer friends and got in touch with Hyunwoo when he was meeting with a choreographer for Hyungwon.”

J. Hope perked up. “Is she a dancer? I could use another.”

“She is and the reason she's coming to us is that she suddenly had a stalker and thought that we could help, plus she could use the money.”

J. Hope turned to Hyungwon, eyes wide and mouth quivering. “Please let me have her. I need a strong dancer to pair off with Dongwoo. He ends up either being too fast or not satisfied with how they coordinate.”

“We'll see, tell me about Kim Seolhyun.”

Sojin rolled her neck, sipping some water from her glass before glancing at her notes. “This one is a doozy, so sit back.”

Hyungwon licked his lips, reaching for his water as Sojin sighed, rolling her neck. “Kim Seolhyun is a special case. Her father is the now deceased Hangeng, who wanted her to continue his legacy. But there was a lower member that decided he wanted to be the leader and Seolhyun had no choice but to break up the clan. Hyungwon do you remember her?”

Hyungwon shrugged his shoulders, “Vaguely. I had to remember over a hundred people. I remember her father more since he was a world renowned martial artist. Her daughter was sixteen at the time I met her so everything's a little vague.”

“Well with the betrayals, she went away to France to recover and now wishes to join our family due to the whispers about how we treat our own despite being a lot of us.”

Hyunwoo turned to Hyungwon, his face thoughtful. “I think it would be a good idea to have her join. If she loves it here, her loyal followers would follow and join. The more numbers, the better. Plus it would look good with all the other families.”

Hyungwon grimaced, he hated having to do things for 'publicity' but at the same time, Seolhyun was like family you didn't know existed and you just wanted to help them. He marked Seolhyun's information with a big black star and looked at all the girls they mentioned so far. The new recruits didn't look half bad but he would certainly have to test them. He reached for a peanut butter and banana sandwich and took a big bite, “Next.”

“Kim Hyojung, or as she likes it Hyorin, is in need of some help with a rival gang extorting money and running a small loan shark gig in her neighborhood. She wants to help but has no way of doing it and is willing to join to get further protection. She's not bad but nothing special.”

Hyungwon ignored the chatter about how tan Hyorin was and skimmed her profile, hoping that something would jump out at him. But everything seemed normal. She was a pretty girl who became head cheerleader in high school before doing average in college and majoring in business. The lack of anything special was boring him to death and he almost stopped reading until he saw the word singer. He snapped his head at Sojin, scaring her slightly with his determined eyes before he pointed to Ailee.

“She's yours. Apparently she can sing and won plenty of contests but rejected going to a company. With her pretty face and athletic body, she would look good with you. When she's in, check her out and see the potential there. Take Changkyun with you and see if she can follow and match his rapping.”

Ailee finger-gunned Hyungwon, “Will do Wonnie.”

Hyungwon flinched at the nickname but said nothing. With promising Hyorin to Ailee and Bora to J. Hope, he wondered who else he would 'give away'. “Now what about Jeon Jiyoon?” She was quite the looker with her short hair and striking eyes but there was something there that made Hyungwon hesitate. He listened to Sojin with careful ears.

“A good candidate and a strong leader. She leads her community in neighborhood meetings and is the daughter of a prominent military leader. Majored in acting and biology, she made the Dean's list and was at the top of her class.”

Jungkook whistled, “Sounds like an overachiever to me.”

“But she would make a great captain.” Hyunwoo glanced at Sojin, “How's her physical capabilities?”

“Black belt in karate and knows her way around a bo staff. Took survival classes and goes hunting when the season comes.”

Hyungwon pursed his lips, Jiyoon sounded too perfect. Where was the line between the perfect Jiyoon, a lifeless doll, and an actual human? “Any criminal records?” He needed just one little piece of humanity to show through.

Sehun spoke up this time, a pout on his face. “I couldn't find much hyung. The only things that popped up were minor notes about protesting on school property but she was quick to comply and so it didn't go further than a bunch of warnings.” Namjoon nodded, “I couldn't find much either.”

Finally it clicked in Hyungwon's mind as all the information ran though his mind. Even though her life seemed perfect, his gut knew differently. He slid the marker in his hand across the page in a big 'X' and motioned with his chin at Taehyung. “Send her a very nice fruit basket and a rejection letter. Miss. Jiyoon is a pass.”

Hyungwon glanced to see Hyunwoo nod his head as everyone started muttering. Hyuna leaned forward, her finger playing with her hair. “What turned you off from a straight A person?”

“My gut says the look in her eyes likes the scent of blood. It's bad enough Dongwoo likes his meat raw, we don't need her kind here. We'll keep eyes on her after Taehyung sends the rejection basket. And if anything happens, we'll use Seokjin hyung.” Everyone rolled their eyes as Jungkook sighed at the mention of Seokjin.

Sojin licked her lips, brushing her hair out of her face. “Alright as you wish. Out last girl is Kim Sohyun, who wanted to join us because of the face she is currently homeless and without a family. She heard how we are and wants in. She graduated with an engineering degree and while looking for a job, invested in a scam that landed her on the street.”

J. Hope sighed, leaning back in his chair, “Nobody gives a second look at the people who need a job, even when they need them the most huh?”

Hyungwon let out a shaky breath, briefly thinking about Changkyun. Soohyun was just like Changkyun and him, alone in the world with no one to give a helping hand. He knew that feeling all too well and he also knew it took one person to make it all better, even if it was for a little bit. “Pick her up and clean her up. Rent her an apartment and get her a job.”

Sojin motioned to Sehun, who started texting. “So she's in?”

“In or not, I can afford to help someone on their feet without the need to be paid back. When I meet her I'll decide then.”

BamBam rose an eyebrow daintily while Taehyung clapped his hands in laughter. “So inspirational except for the part where you can make money with a single wave of your hand. Like if you told our clan you wanted the world, you'd be sipping on a diamond encrusted glass of wine while sitting on top of a huge mound of money the very next morning.”

“Don't tempt me, that sounds like a fabulous idea. But don't you mean with the flick of my wrist?”

The table chuckled as Jungkook moaned, putting his face into his hands. “Please spare us the Harry Potter references or else we'll be here for another four hours. “

Taehyung pursed his lips. “Just because you're salty Harry and Draco weren't secret lovers, doesn't mean the rest of us don't want to hear Hyungwon's jokes.”

“Hey! They were all up in each other's business in all the books and Harry's romances with Cho and Ginny were nothing to the obsession he had for Draco. Like he stalked the poor boy with the map and took any chance to confront him. Like suck his dick already and become the most powerful couple of the school please.”

And before any bickering could really start, Sojin literally sliced the air with her hand. “That's enough of that.” She took a small packet from Sehun and flipped it open. “Alright now that we're finished with the girls, let's move on to the boys.”

“Our first male is a Kim Myungsoo. Sunggyu recommended him because of how loyal and trustworthy he is. He's got an excellent track record-literally. Ranked sixth in the world, he took a break to try and explore new opportunities. He ended up meeting a small group of actors who invited him to a convention and he fell in love with acting.”

“So a track star who became an actor and he wants to join? What's his angle?”

“He wants to join because of Sunggyu and Woohyun. They're family to him and wants to follow them to make sure he can do anything to help them.”

Hyungwon nibbled on his knuckle, worrying it with his teeth. “Alright we'll keep an eye on him.” But if Hyungwon listened to his gut, Myungsoo wouldn't be any problem. He flipped the page, taking note of the very handsome face staring back at him, winking. “Now here's a nice looking man that I wouldn't mind having over for some dessert.”

Everyone snickered as Sojin sighed, rolling her eyes. “Choi Minho is a retired soccer player who injured himself one too many times. Luckily for him, his backup place was his management degree and like Hyuna, owns and runs his own chicken place.”

BamBam rubbed his stomach, humming. “Chicken sounds sooo good right now, especially when with some nice cola.”

Hyuna pursed her lips, reading Minho's profile. “What's the name of his restaurant?”

“Shining Chicken.”

Hyuna's eyes grew wide before her mouth turned into a frown, smacking her hands on the table top and spooking Ailee and J. Hope. “I know this mother fucker! I've been trying to buy out his restaurant for months now. It's the perfect location to put a cafe and he won't sell it. If you let him in, I want him. If he won't sell, maybe he'll listen to my 'suggestions' and then maybe he'll sell to me.”

It was silent for a little bit before Hyungwon whistled. “I'mma need you to lower that thirst from a nine to a three please and then I'll think about it. But you know you can't be mean to members, that's if he joins.”

“Pssh I know” Hyuna waved off his minor concerns, “I'm not gonna ruin him if that's what you're worried about. I'm just salty he kept rejecting my offers. “

Taehyung crossed his legs, “That's the fashionista coming out of noona. Once she sees potential, she's be salty if she doesn't get her way. Remember that one run-down cafe and made it so famous that they keep using it for dramas.”

Hyuna tilted her head, feeling very proud. “I'm glad you know me so well. Now if only you would set me free on your daycare, those babies would be playing in fashion.”

“Tae won't let anyone touch his car, what makes you think he'll let you touch his beloved daycare.” Jungkook licked his lip, running his hand through his hair. “The only person he lets touch anything of his is Seokjinnie hyung and that's because Seokjin takes such good care of him.”

“Jealous?” Ailee raised an eyebrow at Jungkook, who stuck his tongue out at her. Jungkook opened his mouth to retort but Sojin coughed. “Moving on.” Jungkook pout as Sojin kept talking about Choi Minho. “Minho-sshi recently had some death threats that resemble the calling card of the Snakes. He know we're the best and wants to us to figure out what's going on and is willing to join if things go really well.”

Hyunwoo sighed deeply, lacing his fingers together while looking very pensive. “It seems most of our new prospective recruits are having problems and are willing to join if we help them out. I remember the days when they came to us without a motive.”

Hyungwon sipped his water, chewing on some ice. “That's fine as long as they don't try to fuck us over. But I have a feeling that they'll all do just fine. Sojin we have two left right? Condense and summarize so we can take a break before we keep going or at least so we can have dinner.”

“Kang Minhyuk makes music for movies, tv shows, and does voice acting as well. Jang Wooyoung has a normal nine to five job. He loves to collect guns and shoots them at shows. Both decent candidates.”

Hyungwon waited a moment, nodding and scribbling on his papers before clapping his hands. His eyes took in all the candidates. “So to summarize, I'm gonna take them all in except Jiyoon. Taehyung, make sure you reject her well. Now what's for dinner?”

Sehun got up and wiped off the whiteboard as Sojin cleared the table of papers. “Bossam along with fifteen different side dishes. We have cider and cola to drink. Do you want something different?”

“No no that sounds marvelous. Bring out the round table and let's get to eat.”

As Hyungwon clapped, everyone got up. Jungkook and J. Hope moved any stray papers to the side while BamBam and Taehyung moved the table to the side as Hyunwoo helped Hyuna and Ailee as they dragged a round folded up table from a nearby closet. They got the table open, making sure the seams fit nicely as a petite woman came in, rolling a trolley with covered dishes. The air filled with a delicious meaty aroma along with the spicy scent of kimchi and it made stomachs around the room rumble with hunger.

The woman placed small bowls filled with rice in the center, along with the Bossam and side dishes. She pulled out disposable chopsticks and left one for everyone and set down the drinks and cups. Once done, she watched as Hyunwoo took a bite of everything, making sure nothing was poisoned. He nodded at Hyungwon, who smiled and dismissed the woman, who left smiling.

Hyungwon sat down first, everyone following after. Sehun got up and grabbed a cup, motioning to Hyungwon to choose which one he wanted. Pointing to the cider, Sehun poured a generous amount and passed it along to Hyungwon, who sipped it. Hyunwoo gave Hyungwon a pair of chopsticks and the table went quiet as Hyungwon broke apart his chopsticks.

Going clockwise from Hyungwon, Sojin and Sehun handed Hyungwon the different kimchi while Ailee and Hyuna held out the perilla leaves and regular napa cabbage leaves for Hyungwon. BamBam and Jungkook poured everyone's drinks, three cider while the rest cola. Taehyung, J. Hope, and Hyunwoo kept watch in case Hyungwon ate something wrong.

Picking up a piece of pork, Hyungwon felt grateful that he was the leader of this wonderful group. He could do whatever he wanted and there would never be another day where he had no food. He could support Changkyun, any of his members, and if he was feeling generous, he could support a thousand people stably. He dipped the pork in ssamjang, layering in kimchi and garlic in his perilla wrap. His body wiggled in happiness as he bite into his wrap, flavoring bursting onto his tongue. Savory meat, sour kimchi, and salty ssamjang. It was the perfect bite.

Hyungwon swallowed, pausing to gather his thoughts before nodding, which let everyone start digging into the food. Taehyung grinned, grabbing a little kimchi and just eating it alone. “Ugh this kimchi is great. Who made it?”

Sojin swallowed her food, “Gyuri has this guy crushing on her and he gave her his mother's recipe.”

“Is he cute?” Sojin shook her head, “Not really, especially when she's getting love calls from Kim Soohyun and Ahn Jaehyun. Like have you seen their faces? Hottie city.”

Hyuna sighed, licking her lips as her hands made grabby motions in the air. “What does she do to get those kinds of men after her because she hides her beautiful face in the kitchen like eighty percent of the time. Like are they asking to compliment the chef and she comes out all sweaty and gorgeous? And they fall in love and go to eat at her restaurants more often?”

Jungkook pointed his finger at Hyuna, “Hand me a radish cube please.”

BamBam fluffed his hair as he answered Hyuna's rhetorical question. “You know they call her Goddess at all the clubs?” He watched as Hyuna gave Jungkook a radish cube, “Every time I see her in my club, she's got men buying her drinks and trying to get her attention. And let me tell you, those men are fine. She's just got that golden proportion.”

Hyungwon glanced up at Hyunwoo, “Maybe we could ask Gyuri help you find a man. That way you have an excuse to not watch those scary nieces and nephews of yours.”

Sehun chuckled as Hyunwoo blushed, hiding his face with his cup of cola. “Hyunwoo hyung gets so many admirers when we're at the gym but he doesn't notice until we're basically leaving. The other day there was this cute blonde guy who was taking glances at hyung.”

Hyunwoo coughed as J. Hope winked at him. “Oooh was he alone? How did he look like?”

“Very cat-like, with a soft kind face. He seemed like a nice guy.” Sehun smirked, “His ass looked pretty good when he tried to show off in hopes Hyunwoo hyung would look.”

Hyungwon clapped his hands, “Sehun! Get me that man's name and number next time you guys go to the gym and see if the guy has hot friends. Namjoon help your hyung notice hot guys next time.”

“Ok hyung.”

Hyunwoo pouted, “Wonnie please don't matchmaker for me. You know what happened last time you set me up with someone.”

“I can't help it if the guy was really into snakes and wanted you to pet his snake-literally.”

Jungkook wiggled his eyebrows. “Sounds kinky Hyunwoo hyung. Are snakes not your thing?”

Hyunwoo threw a glare at Jungkook, who chuckled and kept eating. “You better take that back before I tell Seokjin about the time you almost dyed your hair bright pink and almost rhinestone your dick for him last Halloween.”

Jungkook quickly looked down at his plate as the table bursted out in laughter. Ailee shook her head at Jungkook. “That is the definition of thirsty and desperation combined. Just confess already.”

“I want to but Seokjin wants to go slow except I know everything about him. Noona, I send him flowers every two weeks and nothing!” Jungkook put his head into his hands and Hyungwon shook his head. “Ridiculous. I'll have a word with him later, maybe even during your weapon deal on Saturday.”

Jungkook sighed, “I'll get to him eventually.” He bit down on a green pepper. “But Hyunwoo hyung, for being an experienced hitman, you don't really pay attention to your surroundings.”

Hyungwon chuckled. “He's always paying attention but only feels like he has to. I'm sure he's scouted out the gym you guys use and even have a bodyguard nearby. He likes to exercise in peace.” Jungkook whistled as Hyunwoo nodded. “Aww hyung protects his cute Sehun and Namjoon huh? I'm surprised Namjoon hyung hasn't set you on fire yet from trying to make you food.”

Namjoon sighed, “I almost did the other day when I was trying to make ramyeon. Hyung had to grab the fire extinguisher before the fire moved from the stove.” Hyungwon winced, “Please don't kill my advisor before he finishes teaching you everything. If he or Sojin die before y'all learn everything, Changkyun will be hopeless, even more than he is now.”

Ailee tapped her fingers against the table, mindlessly nibbling on a piece of pajeon. “How is he? Doing good? You should bring him next time.”

“He doesn't want to learn this stuff until he graduates college and I agree. This will take up most of his time until he can multitask well. But even then he has a good base to learn from. He's doing well for now.”

Sojin hummed, “His underground rapping isn't doing too bad. His name pops up here and there and I've gotten a few requests to have him come perform. He's due to move into his new studio in a week and you still need to give him a stable method of transportation Hyungwon. Nothing too fancy please.”

BamBam jumped in, “How about a motorcycle? He would look so badass on it.” Hyungwon shrugged his shoulders. “As long as he proved he could ride one, it's alright with me. I love my motorcycle but I wish I could take it out more often. I love the wind in my hair and I look so good on it.”

“True, very true.” J. Hope crossed his arms, finished eating. “Can we keep going with the meeting because I think Hyungwon will keep eating if we give him the chance.” Hyungwon nodded, picking up a piece of radish kimchi. “Damn right. Sojin noona, whenever you're ready, keep going please.”

Sojin wiped her lips, setting down her chopsticks as Sehun handed her a clipboard with a bulleted list. She also accepted a glass of water from Sehun, taking a gulp before talking. “Next on our list is from Sohee, our lovely 'selling' specialist. Even though we have a big part in selling and buying women, she's heard there's someone trying to scam sellers and resell their women for a higher rate, as well as abuse the women.”

Hyungwon sighed. “Tell Sohee to monitor the selling channels and to get in touch with Victoria. She should know what's going on with the other bands and if nothing pans out, tell her to contact Narsha. Someone must know something and if there is someone new playing the game, we need to get rid of them.”

“I also have profiles on the new women Sohee has acquired and I'll give them to you later Hyungwon. But for now Sohee has nobody interesting but we have enough girls to do a proper show so I'll arrange that and send out word.”

“Sounds good. So we'll find the reseller and get rid of them and have a buying show in the next couple of weeks. I want the theme to be colorful and sexy. Make sure the girls look as healthy as they can and make sure you test them for any diseases.”

Hyuna crossed her arms, licking her lips. “Don't forget the mandatory STD testing for our esteemed guests. I would have for our goods to get disgusting. We did pay good money for them.”

“Of course. We haven't had a problem yet.” Hyungwon murmured. “If anyone finds a problem, deal with it and then report it to me, especially if you get a lead of who's abusing the girls. Injure first and questions later.”

Sojin rolled her eyes. “So ruthless, just like your father. I'm sure he's feeling proud of you halfway across the world while he's sipping on mojitos.” She took some pajeon and dipped in some soy sauce. “Next is something new for our clan: gambling. Now your father dealt with small gambling casinos but didn't like how much time he had to invest in it and stopped doing it. But I had Sehun work out a good way for us to reinstate it.”

She rolled out a large blueprint, detailing a three story building. “ This is our new bar. The first story is going to be a very casual bar scene where there are plenty of booths and tables so it'll be the perfect cover. The second level is for our workers, namely our offices and security. And the basement is where the gambling will take place. We'll have various games, conducted by professional players and we'll have cash only games. No ATM's, no checks, and no IOU's. We'll have a cap out of a million won for winners and only operate during the weekends. We'll have cameras everywhere and we'll make sure we have files on everyone who comes in to play.”

Hyungwon glanced at the blueprint, liking how simple it was. “Tell me the plan who people who borrow money and tell me what happens if police come knocking.”

Sojin pointed to a doorway connecting to a small room. “For those who borrow money, we'll write them down and how much they own and set them up on a payment plan because threatening people is very barbaric. They can't gamble until they pay off the debt and if they try and disappear, we'll send someone to shake them up. Since gambling isn't so big for us right now, we're basically acting if we were giving out student loans.” Hyungwon shuddered at the thought of college. “As for the police, the floor is set to sink down while another floor covers everything. The walls are already storage units for wine, so it'll look like a wine cellar.”

Ailee whistled. “A fake floor? That's fucking fancy and it feels like it's out of a movie.”

“Security will be scanning and looking up every face that comes through the front door. Everyone will be wearing headsets, for drink ordering and communication purposes.” Sojin smirked at Ailee, “We have enough money to make it just like the movies.”

Hyungwon bit his lip. “This is good. I want custom playing cards and playing dice. I want the slot machines to spit out tokens so we can recycle them. Efficient and cost effective but I want them custom too. I want the decor to be sexy. I want purples and blacks, with accents of silver throughout the entire building. I want the bar to be named 'X'.”

“Alright. The building is already done and just waiting for your orders for decoration. By my estimation, the bar will be done in two months. I have Yang Jiwon and Hakyeon traveling and picking up amazing wines. They'll be back with their picks in a month.”

“Good. Who's going to be working the bar?”

“For the bar: Kyungsoo, Jinki, Amber, Seungri, and Yura. For the gambling ring: Junmyeon, Hana, Himchan, and LE. Security is composed of Youngwoon, Miryo, Yonghwa, and Eunji.”

Hyungwon grinned. “That's a good team. Make sure Youngjae makes a good budget and don't let Hongki go wild with decorating please. I'll never hear the last of it if he buys something obscenely expensive again and makes Youngjae salty because Hongki just walks away and keeps spending.”

BamBam took a bite of bossam, humming as he swallowed. “But you got to admit everything Hongki buys has style. Are we allowed to visit the gambling ring or do you want our faces out of it?”

“I would prefer you keep your faces out of it. If you want to play some games, I'll arrange for a day where only our clan can play. We won't play for money but with cookies because I know that playing with money is asking for trouble.” Hyungwon turned to Sojin, “But you did well.”

Sojin thanked him. “I know but I can't wait for the day when you find a second in command and give him all this work. So hurry up.”

Hyungwon sighed, running his hand through his face. “I'm trying but I haven't found anyone with that charisma or that sense of trust that I need.” He looked at everyone, “Not to offend anyone here because I do trust you guys but it's trust and loyalty that I need to feel with my gut and my brain. I have a feeling that I'm going to find them soon but I just want them now, even more since we're having outside problems.”

He smiled weakly at Sojin, “Just wait a little more and I'll have you take a nice little vacation.”

“Alright. Next on our agenda is our lovely artist Woori. She has some stolen artwork on the line and wants to know if you want to buy before she offers anything to the clan.”

“What's in the collection?”

Sojin spread some pictures of vases and paintings around the food, making sure Hyungwon could see them all. “We have a couple vases from ancient China and Japan, along with some original paintings by the usual artists like Picasso.”

Hyungwon browsed the stolen artwork, disappointed nothing spoke to him. He liked it when art spoke to him, making feel and see a story. He wanted to bond with the artist and feel what they did. That is what art is suppose to do. He scrunched up his nose, shaking his head. “Don't see anything I like. Tell Woori to see if anyone else wants. Does anyone here see anything they want?”

Hyuna took an interest in one of the vases, the one that had bright blue flowers and gorgeous lilies. “I wouldn't mind this one but you know how my darling kitties like knocking over my vases. The last one they destroyed was one of my favorites and I nearly killed them.”

Ailee coughed, her laughter wanting to burst out. “That's why you put them high and fill them marbles. Get it.”

Hyuna shrugged her shoulders, grabbing the picture. “I guess. But that's all I see that I want. Anyone else?”

With the rest of the table shaking their heads, Sojin took back the rest of the pictures. “Alright I'll tell Woori. Now I have some hit contracts and some protection requests to deal with. It's nothing bit, just the usual businessmen trying to get rid of competition. I have three hit contracts and two protection.”

Hyungwon sighed, pouting his lips until he made a fish face. “I hate talking about these since they are so cliché. A powerful man wanting us to kill his competition and then the police get suspicious but they can't find anything to tie it back to us. Just tell me the company and who the hit is for and I'll suggest a hitter.”

Sehun wrote on their whiteboard, a piece of lettuce sticking out of his mouth. “We have S Electronics, who put out the hit for A Electronics, A very popular idol wanting their ex dead, and a tennis player who wants their lover dead. As for protection contracts, a model is getting threatening messages and a prominent child actor is coming from the States.”

Hyunwoo sucked on his chopsticks, grabbing his pen. “Not too many of each, not bad. I think that Howon should take care of the electronics hit and Gayoon for the idol's ex.”

Namjoon checked his phone, “Gayoon is in Paris to do Wanna One's makeup and won't be back for another three months. Howon isn't set to record for another two days so he'll be good to go if you want him soon. But Jinyoung and Taeyeon are available as well as Jaekyung. Jinyoung just finished his magazine submission and Taeyeon just came back from Japan. Jaekyung started coaching but the little kids don't start playing for another month.”

J. Hope scratched his head, shaking it in thought as he moved his plate away from him. “So those three for hitters but I think that Junsu and Chanyeol should do the body guarding.” He took a swig of his drink, “There's no need to have someone else when that's their job.”

Hyungwon nodded. “Sehun we'll go with those members. Make sure they are briefed and have everything they need. What's left on our agenda because-” He looked at his watch, “It's already ten and I wanna go sleep.”

“Last is our investments and how they're doing. We have an eight percent rise in technology, as our stocks in phone technology is rising. Four percent rise in porno, fifteen percent in drugs, and twenty percent rise in debt collection. So in total, we have gained 350,000,000 won and stand to gain at least double with the next three months.”

Hyungwon bit his lip. “That's not bad but it doesn't feel good either.”

“You have to put it into perspective. We also deal in weapons, women dealing, collecting debts. Assassinations, “private missions”. Legally we deal with floral companies, modeling, dancing, restaurants, schools, technology, hotels, and airports. And we try to more such as gambling. So Monthly we bring in at least six million, at the very least. Feel better?”

Hyungwon stretched, nodding his head. “I guess.”

“Don't be too greedy hyung.” BamBam wiped his lips with a napkin, “We do good work for being one of the nicer groups. You know that if we were like the clans from back in the day, we probably would be harassed by the other groups and the police would try and bring us down harder. You take care of really well hyung.”

Hyunwoo patted Hyungwon's shoulder, “You work us to death but you let us rest and play generously. Now with that investment report, I think we should go home and rest because I know that this week will get busy. Let's go.”

And with that, the meeting was over except for the part where Hyunwoo leaned over and whispered in Hyungwon's ear. “Sojin and I want to talk to you in private. It won't take long.”

Hyungwon froze before sighing as sitting back down, his head propped by his hand. He waved at everyone bowing to him, picking up his chopsticks and shoving more kimchi and meat into his mouth. He raised his hand and all that passed by him, chuckling as they kissed the back of his hand one by one. Taehyung went as far as to nuzzle Hyungwon's hand before winking at him before skipping out of the room. Once the room was empty except for Hyunwoo, Namjoon, Sojin, and Sehun, Hyungwon rolled his neck, massaging the side.

“Ok spill, what's going on.”

Hyunwoo took in a deep breath before releasing it, pushing his hair back with his hand. “I'm sure you noticed that we're seeing problems with unknown strangers and people trying to get on our turf, such as reselling women. Well I've heard from the other clans and we think there's a new gang trying to take over and invade other clans. That would explain all the trouble that's going around. So Sojin and I went ahead and invited everyone for a clan head meeting for February the first.” Hyunwoo licked his lips, weakly smiling at Hyungwon. “We've heard from most and they agreed to meet. So we're meeting at the game center at Gangnam and we're renting it out for the entire day. Casual clothes and plenty of food.”

Hyungwon tapped his fingers against the table, suddenly feeling a little sick. If there was a new gang trying to take power, he needed to make sure his members were protected. “I want you to have eyes on every major event that clan has until the first. Make sure that everyone has a weapon on them and I want my captains checking on their group every week.” He turned to Sojin, “I want you to make sure there's nobody leaking information on us and if there is, get rid of them. Contact Seven hyung and I want him watch over Changkyun and have Junsu hyung watch over the new recruits. I want updates when you get them.”

Hyunwoo and Sojin nodded while Namjoon and Sehun shared looks with each other, obviously worried. Hyungwon burped, covering his face with his hand. “Is that it? Then meeting adjourned and I'll look over those contracts later Sojin, along with the women Sohee has for us.” He rose from his seat, pausing as a thought hit his head. “Sojin see what Victoria and Narsha know, even if all they have is rumors. And be safe all of you or I'll resurrect you from the grave and murder you for being careless.”

Hyungwon smirked, pointing to Namjoon and Sehun. “I know you guys go to the gym every Tuesday and Friday so make sure Hyunwoo gets that cutie's number.” He cackled as Hyunwoo sputtered, running out of the room before Hyunwoo could wring his neck. He slipped back on his coat, getting back to the ground floor, wondering if it was too late for a little ramyeon, even though he had just finished eating bossam. As he got back into his car, he was thankful that there was a convenience store not five minutes away from his apartment complex. So he parked his car in his usual spot, thinking about what kind of ramyeon to buy and if he should pick something up for Changkyun.

He noticed someone sitting and eating at the only table the convenience store had inside. The guy had small smudges of black on his lips, making Hyungwon debate about getting jajangmyeon ramyeon. The shelves had so many varieties of ramyeon that it made Hyungwon wish he had a large shopping cart so he could buy them all. In the end he chose a spicy ramyeon, grabbing a cola, a kimbap triangle, and a small package of kimchi. Loving how cheap his purchases were, he went ahead and cooked his ramyeon, taking a pair of disposable chopsticks. Hyungwon pulled up next to the stranger, setting his things down. He checked his phone, checking the messages Changkyun had sent him.

 **Changkyunnie** :  
Hyung I'm still over at Minah's but I'll be home soon so bring home some milk because we're out

 **WonWon** :  
And you couldn't think to send a text to our housekeeper to buy milk?

 **Changkyunnie** :  
You know she scares me hyung!  
You weren't there the day I accidentally made the microwave explode  
Like her eyes were full of promises of death

 **WonWon** :  
If you stopped causing such a mess  
she wouldn't have the urge to kill you  
but fine I'll buy milk

 **Changkyunnie** :  
You da best hyung  
I'll give you plenty of cuddles later

Hyungwon chuckled, leaving his phone alone to open his kimbap and kimchi before mixing his ramyeon. He saw out of the corner of his eye the guy next to him turn to look at him and Hyungwon glanced over to see bright shining eyes just above a black face mask. Those eyes seemed to dig deep into his soul so he quickly looked down to his ramyeon, blowing on it before slurping some up. He just hoped he wasn't blushing obviously as the guy next to him went back to eating.

“You know that brand of ramyeon is one of my favorites? They're really spicy and cheap.”

Hyungwon almost choked, almost. He swallowed his bite of noodles before turning to the guy next to him. “Excuse me?”

The guy pulled down his mask, revealing one of the most aesthetically pleasing faces he had seen in a while. Short brunette hair, soft pink lips, and a jaw that could cut diamonds. The guy pointed to his now empty cup of ramyeon, his body wiggling happily. “I got jajangmyeon ramyeon today because I was feeling like savory noodles but I usually get the kind you're eating because the noodles hold the sauce really well and pairs really good with rice.”

And despite his better judgment, Hyungwon started talking with the stranger. “I know that's why I got kimbap and kimchi to eat with it. Cheap and filling.”

“Filling but not too filling because I could totally go for another cup ramyeon but it's getting so late. It's the eternal struggle between eating good food or not eating so late because your face swells, which mine totally does.”

Hyungwon nodded, agreeing. “I know, I'm the same but like it's so tasty. I'm Hyungwon by the way.” He held out his hand, holding in a gasp when he felt a tingle go up his arm as the stranger shook his hand. “I'm Hoseok but you can call me Wonho.”

Hyungwon rose an eyebrow, “Wonho? Interesting name.”

“It's my stage name. I'm a dancer for MoonGal Entertainment. And I didn't chose my name, my friend did. He thought it would be funny to name me after one of the kids he works with and unfortunately everyone likes it but I don't mind. Hyungwon's an interesting name too.”

Hyungwon took another bite of his noodles, not noticing Hoseok's attention on his chopsticks as they got closer to his mouth. “My father said he was watching a drama one day and it just came to him.” Hyungwon didn't mention that it was after he was adopted off the street and that he literally couldn't even remember the name his birth parents had given him. “I never asked him what drama he was watching but I'm just glad he didn't name me after a historical drama.”

Hoseok laughed, his hands gripping the table in amusement. Hyungwon didn't know why his heart thumped a bit as Hoseok gave him a beautiful eye smile but at the same time, he wasn't stupid. An attractive guy, trying to talk to him, at a convenience store at night. That was korean drama material right there and if Hyungwon was to guess the next scene, Hoseok would ask for his number and they would be texting buddies until they fell in love until Hoseok found out that he was the head of a very big mafia group. But this wasn't a drama and Hyungwon wasn't the type to date someone without Hyunwoo to run a background check first.

So he finished up his cup ramyeon, savoring the last bites of his kimbap and kimchi. He still needed to buy some milk and maybe he would even buy some snacks for tomorrow. Licking his fingers of any grease, Hyungwon tipped his head back and finished his cola. Suddenly he felt his eyes get heavy and whined, putting his head into his arms. “Ugh I wanna nap.”

Hoseok grinned, wiping his hands on a napkin. “Don't you mean go to bed?” Hyungwon shrugged his shoulder, his coat slightly slipping off. “Nap, sleep. Both words that mean I close my eyes and don't open them for at least five hours. So if I wanna make it to a bed and not fall asleep right here, I need to get milk and get going.”

Hoseok pouted, “I should probably get going too. I have dance practice early in the morning and Gain noona is not afraid to kick my ass and look fabulous while doing it.” Hyungwon muffed a laugh while gathering his trash. “Sounds like it happens often?”

“Too often. I can't help that my bed is so soft that I ignore my alarm and just go back to sleep.”

Hyungwon sighed, nodding his head. “My bed is the same except I have a twenty-two year old that comes into my room and literally pulls me out of bed.” Hyungwon pouted, “Ugh he's just lucky he's my baby brother or Changkyunnie would get a slipper to the face.”

Hoseok laughed, his hands clapping. Hyungwon smiled at the enthusiastic response but smile thinning out as he checked his phone. “Well it's getting late so I better get going. It was nice meeting you.” He collected his trash in one hand, his other hand placing his phone into his coat pocket. Rising from the chair, Hyungwon stretched his back, rotating his neck around. He smiled down at Hoseok who was getting up from his seat as well, “It was nice meeting you too Hyungwon-sshi. Hopefully we'll meet again.”

Hyungwon moved towards the nearest trashcan, dumping the garbage inside. “Maybe we will, you'll just have to let fate decide. Later.” He waved Hoseok goodbye, quickly grabbing a gallon of milk and paying for it, thankful he was awake enough to walk and not stumble home, even if it was literally five minutes away. He wondered if he should have given Hoseok his number if only to just become friends but he didn't need Hyunwoo or Sojin nagging at him for giving away his private and important phone number.

He typed in the security code and went up to his floor, looking at the shoe rack to see if Changkyun's shoes were there. He saw Changkyun's black dirty ass sneakers and his whole body relaxed. He kicked off his shoes, too tired to even pick them up, and padded to the kitchen. He didn't even bother to take the milk out of the bag and just set it inside the fridge door.

It was a little dark as he made his way to his room but it only helped him get drowsy. He hung up his coat against his door, stripped his clothes off, and just left them there on the floor. He felt bad but he was dead on his feet at this point and collapsed into bed. Hyungwon snuggled up to one of his pillows, closing his eyes. Sleep came to him quickly as the events of the day finally came to an end.


	2. Tuesday the 2nd

Hyungwon finds Changkyun, bleary eyed, eating a gigantic bowl of cereal. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, putting his hands on his hips, lips pursed. “That's the reason why we run out of milk. You eat a bowl of cereal the size of my head and probably used up like half the milk. At this rate I should have a cow on tap for you.”

Changkyun wiped a drop of milk from his chin, swallowing his spoonful of cereal. He licked his lips, burping into his hand before responding to Hyungwon. “But you know I only eat cereal on Tuesdays and Fridays because I go to class earlier on those days. Remember Monday, Wednesday, Friday I go in at ten and Tuesday, Thursday I go in at eight. I can't help it if my classmates need help in Chemistry and Physics. Ugh I hate being smart sometimes.”

Hyungwon ruffled Changkyun's hair, smiling as he pouted and kept eating cereal. “You know I'm proud of you, sharing your smarts with others. It looks good for you and it'll show that you can lead others. Now hurry up so Hyunwoo can take you to school.”

“It's so nice he lives in the apartment across from us. Oh by the way, Sojin noona sent me a text about choosing a vehicle. She said she talked about it in the meeting yesterday and asked me to think about it.”

Hyungwon watched Changkyun slurp down the rest of his cereal, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “We talked about it very briefly. BamBam suggested a motorcycle and I thought it wasn't a bad idea. But either way, it has to be something you like and can drive safely. Did you have a car in mind?”

Changkyun shook his head, grabbing a water bottle from the refrigerator. “I told her I'd think about it. Anyways will I see you for lunch? I was thinking we could get Chinese.”

“I have a small meeting with Hyunwoo and Sojin a little later but I think I'll be free. Did you think about what you wanted to do for your birthday because for the clan, we decided Spain was a good place to celebrate.”

Changkyun nodded, making sure he looked ok in the nearby mirror. “Spain sounds really good. What are we going to do for your birthday? What do you want?” Hyungwon shrugged his shoulders, pushing the buttons on his coffee machine. “I was thinking a trip to France, nothing fancy. A three day trip to France for my birthday and a three day trip to Spain for yours. Sounds good?”

Changkyun smiled. “Sounds good.” He checked his phone, “I gotta go. Hyunwoo says hi and don't be late for the meeting. He says it's at ten, not eleven or twelve.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes. “Tell that man that I'll be on time. Now get going before he leaves you behind.”

Changkyun left and Hyungwon focused on his coffee, adding a small amount of sugar and creamer before going to the living room, thinking about what to eat for breakfast. He didn't feel like cereal but he didn't feel like a western breakfast either. He turned on the tv, going through the channels without really paying attention and landed on a cooking show. He watched as the woman on the screen salted some pork chops and hummed, nodding his head. Somehow watching pork being cooked made Hyungwon think of dakgalbi, spicy chicken with rice cakes and veggies.

Thankfully Hyungwon learned to cook growing up, otherwise he probably would have starved the moment his father retired and left his the clan. He browsed the kitchen, leaving the television running. He knew he had chicken breasts, green onions, cabbage, and basically everything else he needed to make dakgalbi. So he turned off the television from the living room and switched to the tv on the wall next to the dining table, putting on the cooking show he was watching.

Hyungwon grabbed a knife, cutting everything into small bite sized pieces because Hyungwon really hated having big pieces to eat. As the woman on the television chopped her vegetables, he did the same, making sure he cut enough to have to fill Changkyun's stomach and still have leftovers. Pushing the veggies into a bowl, Hyungwon went into his cabinet and pulled out his red pepper paste, making sure he had gloves to work with. Pouring bottle after bottle, the smell the sauce gave off made Hyungwon's mouth water as he added diced chicken breasts inside to marinate.

Setting the bowl aside to let the chicken marinate, Hyungwon cooked his vegetables, checking his phone to see what time it was. It was almost eight thirty so he hurried up, throwing his chicken and rice cakes into the pan and throwing the lid on, setting his timer for about ten minutes. With the scraps of the unused veggies in a bag and dishes in the dishwasher, Hyungwon pulled out pickled napa leaves and thinly sliced radish, along with a small container of homemade kimchi from Gyuri noona. He glanced at the lone soju bottle in the fridge but dismissed it and decided to go simple. He chose to have his cold water in his favorite pink cup, pairing it with his favorite pink plate, which had large red hearts and bright yellow stars on it. Changkyun usually made fun of him when he used it but Hyungwon knew Changkyun liked to eat sweets of his plate, so he didn't say a word.

His timer went off and Hyungwon stirred his dakgalbi, making sure nothing got stuck to the bottom of the pan. He added a bit of water and stirred it again, this time adding cheese after five minutes and pulled it off the stove. He set his table, changing the channel to Spongebob before wiping his head and collapsing at the dining table. Hyungwon didn't even bother blowing on his food and instead just shoved a chunk of chicken and a perilla leaf into his mouth, wincing at the heat. But he was so hungry he didn't care and just kept eating, or rather, shoving food into his mouth.

Hyungwon knew he didn't have much time to spare if he wanted to shower before leaving the house, so after eating his fill, he quickly put the leftovers away and piled the dirty dishes in the sink for later. He turned off the tv and stretched, debating between sweatpants or jeans. He didn't feel like dressing up but he didn't want to look like a hobo either. Standing naked in front of his closet, his eyes spotted a bright pink tank top and he felt the urge to wear it. So he pulled out the pink top, along with a black shrug on sweater and blue jeans, a very boyfriend look.

He didn't dawdle in the shower although he debated jerking off because he felt a little tense but he turned up the cold water and felt a little better. Getting out, he toweled off and cleaned his ears. Lotion and bb cream were next on his application list before blow drying his hair and prancing back into his room. Hyungwon dug through his cologne as he shimmied on a pair of briefs, choosing something with a clean, floral scent. He slipped on his clothes, dabbing his cologne on his neck and wrists before brushing his hair, applying lipbalm, and spraying some deodorant on.

His wallet and keys were by the door as he slipped on sneakers, tapping his foot against the floor to make sure they were properly on. He checked his phone and saw that it was almost nine thirty so he hurried to his car and sped off.

Their usually meeting place was this cozy cafe about twenty minutes away from his apartment, a place where the owners cared about people having good food, coffee, and above all privacy since many college students went there. Hyungwon parked his car across the street and checked the road before crossing it because he would hate to get hit before his birthday.

He saw Hyunwoo and Sojin sitting down and he sped up, spotting the coffee they had ordered for him. He greeted the workers as he entered the cafe, smiling at the ahjumma owner before moving to where his members were. “See! I'm not late.”

Hyunwoo smiled at him, sipping his coffee while Hyungwon sat down next to Sojin. “That's good but if you could that often, it would be nice. If you could be like Changkyun and be early, that would be even better.”

Sojin chuckled, biting her scone and licking her fingers of icing. “But then he wouldn't be our Hyungwonnie.” Sojin handed Hyungwon his drink, “Here. We ordered you an Americano. Did you eat? We can order something.”

“Be proud of me.” He fluffed his hair and puffed out his chest. “I made dakgalbi and it was delicious.”

Sojin and Hyunwoo made a surprised face at each other, Sojin nodding her head. “At least I don't have to worry that you or Changkyun might starve at home. I would hate to have Hyunwoo break into your apartment just to find you slumped over your couch while Changkyun is scraping ramen out of a pot.”

Hyungwon raised an eyebrow, leaning his head against his hand. “It sounds like you have experience with that?”

Sojin sighed, wiping her fingers on a napkin as Hyunwoo shook his head in amusement. She took a gulp of her water and rubbed her temples, shaking her head. “Taehyung and Ailee were with me when I visited Youngjae and Daehyun and I just remember ordering from four different places and they finished it all.”

“And they couldn't order deliver?”

“Apparently they left their phones in the office and their car was in the workshop, getting fixed. They had nothing in the apartment except for old milk and rice. I didn't ask them why they just didn't go outside instead of just wasting away because at that point I just wanted some whiskey to drown out my headache.”

Hyunwoo hummed, letting Hyungwon nibble at his muffin. “I'm surprised that they've lived this far in life without either learning how to cook. I think they survive solely on love.”

Hyungwon's mouth curled into a grin, wiggling his eyebrows at Hyunwoo. “You could be living on love too if you get that cutie's number when you go to the gym later.” Hyungwon winked, “You could even have some dessert later if you show how hungry you are.”

Sojin whistled as Hyunwoo groaned, putting his face into his hands. Hyungwon took out his phone, waving it at Hyunwoo. “I already have Namjoon and Sehun out on the lookout for you so I expect to be the best man at your wedding.”

Hyunwoo shot him a look, “I'm not getting married to a stranger Wonnie.”

Hyungwon shrugged his shoulders, accepting the papers Sojin started handing him. “By the way you date, I'll be getting the invitation in one to two years, depending on the cutie's personality.” Hyungwon suddenly leaned in, his face blank. “But I have a good feeling so please try.”

And with that Hyungwon turned to his drink, ending the conversation. “So let's hurry with this meeting so I can lazy around until I go have lunch with Changkyun. Birthdays first.”

Sojin nodded, having a list of names in front of her. “Yesterday was Sungmin's birthday and from you, he loved the four cases of wine we got him. On the twelfth it'll be Kyungsoo's birthday and two days later it's Jongin's. Then yours and on the seventeenth it's Youngwoon's, and then Jiyoung's. Then near the end of January, Youngjae's is on the twenty-fourth, Junho's is the twenty-fifth, then Changkyun. That's it.”

Sojin handed Hyungwon a pen and they watched him as he started thinking about what presents to give. “For Kyungsoo give him a new bookcase since I heard he was having trouble organizing his books. Get him a couple bottles of expensive spirits as well. The last time I saw Jongin was when he was fixing Nicole's problem with her target and I know he wrecked most of his tools. Replace them with something tasteful. And don't forget the chocolate bonbons he likes.”

“You pick such thoughtful gifts.” Hyungwon nodded, still thinking. Sojin and Hyunwoo shared a secret smile. They loved seeing Hyungwon really focus on something and put his mind into it. He was really smart and thoughtful when he actually took the time instead of being lazy and always relying on Sojin and Hyunwoo. Hyungwon finished mumbling to himself and gave Sojin his paper. “Give Youngwoon some new weights and make sure he's following his instructions regarding alcohol. If he drinks more than a thousand milliliters of anything, I want you to put him in a time out. I don't need someone reckless working for me.”

“Is that why you let Jihoon go?”

Hyungwon turned to Hyunwoo, “He thought it was a good idea to throw several bombs into enemy territory and didn't care if our members were injured. He's lucky that Kyuhyun was able to protect Yoongi and Jimin or I would have ended him.”

Sojin hummed, her fingers helping her read Hyungwon's handwriting. “Alright, make sure Youngwoon's doing well. You put down for a set of gems for Jiyoung to create with and for Youngjae, you want me to get him a better apartment with better rent and a fabulous plant. You didn't write much for Junho, you just wrote chicken. Do you want me to send him some fried chicken?”

Hyungwon chuckled, his eye narrowing in excitement. His hands clapped as he thought about his birthday gift for Junho. Hyunwoo sighed as Hyungwon shook his head, wondering what crazy idea he had thought up. “No. Buy him four live chickens and have a coop installed into his apartment. He always complains about all the eggs he gets from the supermarket and so this will fix the problem.”

Hyunwoo rubbed his temples. “What have I told you about buying live animals and making your members take care of them? This didn't work when you bought Taemin those expensive goldfish and then he forgot to feed them because he had a show to do.”

“Well this is different because I know Junho will grow to love those chickens even if he's super busy with work. Now as for Changkyun and myself, I'll buy his present personally so don't worry about it. As for me, all I want from anyone is a handwritten card and clothes. I would prefer that but if anyone takes the time to get me something else, I won't turn it down.” Hyungwon looked each of them in the eye slowly, “And if someone decides to expand my collection of chokers, they might find an expensive bottle of booze on their kitchen table.”

Sojin and Hyunwoo nodded, Sojin typing away on her phone while Hyunwoo asked Hyungwon a question, “With these new recruits do you want to have two more captains to have a total of eight? I have two new people from another clan who were looking to relocate due to family issues, literal family issues. So their clan head came to me to see if you wanted them.”

“Names? Issues?”

Hyunwoo looked at his notes on his phones. “Park Chaeyoung, nickname Rose, has been having problems with her parents not accepting her sexuality and Son Seungwan, or Wendy, her mother sued her father and neither parent wants to take her with them.”

“Ahhh...” Hyungwon blinked hard and rubbed his eyes, “Is it too early to have a double shot of vodka?”

Sojin pushed her water towards Hyungwon, “Drink up. You know if you drink alcohol so early, your stomach can't handle it.”

Hyungwon sighed and downed the rest of Sojin's water, wiping away any moisture around his lips. “Set up a dinner meeting for Friday at the Sunshine Cafe. Reserve the Cloud room and make sure they have extra fluffy pillows and that raspberry wine.” His phone buzzed and Hyungwon took a look, seeing a message from Changkyun. “Changkyun said he was fine with Spain so make it a three day trip and send out the invitations and I want a three day trip to France.”

“France and Spain, sounds good. Well that's all for now. I've got to go review contracts and make sure your modeling session is still tomorrow. Remember it's at nine and the concept is high fashion so they might ask for you to dye your hair, so we may have to go early and get it done.”

Hyungwon nodded, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Hyunwoo gave Hyungwon the rest of his muffin, checking his watch. “If you need me, text me but you know I have to go to the gym tonight and Friday and swim practice Wednesday and Thursday.”

Hyungwon waved him off. “I shouldn't need you until Friday morning. Be safe and make sure that everyone has weapons. Meeting adorned, I have to go meet Changkyun for some yummy Chinese.”

Hyungwon scooted out of his seat, hugging Sojin and Hyunwoo before leaving the cafe, texting Changkyun as he made his way back to his car.

 **Changkyunnie:**  
I'm free  
I'll meet you at the restaurant?

 **WonWon** :  
Just got out of meeting  
be right there

Hyungwon made his way to the Chinese restaurant near Changkyun's university, their absolute favorite place. Decorated in rich reds and browns, The Rising Dragon, was the restaurant to go for amazing food and atmosphere. Hyungwon had found the restaurant when he had been looking for some food to buy for Changkyun after he had a stressful exam. Their chicken was supple and juicy and Hyungwon died for their black truffle dumplings. He saw Changkyun sitting in a booth and made his way towards him, patting his head and then sitting down.

“Hey ready to eat?”

Changkyun nodded, sighing as he leaned back and stretched his arms. “You wouldn't believe the morning I had. I was showing Junhong how to deal with dimensional analysis and helping Jongup molarity when Hyosung came running.” His fingers tore into the napkin in front of him. “Apparently next week, in her first lab they're working with motion and she doesn't follow the concept at all in class.”

Hyungwon chuckled, catching the waiter's eye who nodded and went off to put their regular order. “So what happened? Does she want to study with you in private?” Hyungwon winked and Changkyun made a face, “Ew. I mean Hyosung noona is pretty looking but I don't want members of the baseball or basketball team after me. But she wanted to run through a mock lab involving motion and so I have to come up with a lab that will probably mimic what will be her lab.”

“Sounds rough, do you want money to buy some things?”

Changkyun shrugged his shoulders, “I don't know what to do but once I figure it out maybe. It's just a lot of work and I'm sure her mouth will run and I'll end up having to help more people on Friday. If I have more than five people to help, do you mind if I have them come over? It'll be easier to camp in the living room.”

The waiter came and stopped next to them, holding a magnitude of dishes. Four different dumpling plates were set down, along with large plate of Peking Duck and scallion pancakes. Hyungwon got a big bowl of shrimp noodle soup while Changkyun's soup was full of mushrooms and green onions. They thanked their waiter and dug in, Hyungwon inhaling 2 black truffle dumplings before answering. “Yeah that's fine. Just let me know when and I'll try to stay out, which shouldn't be hard since I have a meeting with two new potential captains and I have to meet with Jungkook and the rest so we can go over the weapons deal.”

Changkyun licked his lips, taking a sip of the cider they got. “ How do you think that will go?”

“If everything goes well, Jungkook's police team will raid the wrong warehouse, catching the Falcon clan since they were getting in our way. That night he'll go and get the actual guns and make a deal with the Turtle clan.” Hyungwon didn't tell Changkyun about the new gang lurking around their territory, just in case Changkyun got distracted from his worries. “I'll have Seokjin and Ailee on standby just in case but I don't think anything will happen. I plan to have forty six million wons worth of guns and maybe even some new connections about some expensive wines I want.”

Changkyun hummed, his cheeks full of soup. Hyungwon leaned over to wipe at Changkyun's fingers before nibbling on a scallion pancake, “You need a bib at this rate since I keep having to clean you up. Stop wasting the food.” Changkyun whined, dodging Hyungwon's hands.

“Hyung please let me live. I'm not so messy that you have to take care of me.” Hyungwon gave him a look, his eyebrows dipping down as his mouth quirked up. “Oh really? Who was the one who had cake on the back of his neck about two months ago?”

Changkyun blushed, running his tongue along his bottom lip. Hyungwon chuckled, “That's right, you did. But I will admit it was one amazing cake.”

“It was really good.” Changkyun grabbed a green squash and shrimp dumpling. “We should order from that bakery tonight. I wouldn't mind a nice cheesecake.”

“Choosing dessert before dinner huh? Just more proof that you're my brother.” Hyungwon opened up a chicken dumpling, adding in a tiny amount of soy sauce before downing it in one go. “What should we have for dinner? I'm completely free tonight because I'll busy the rest of the week with commercial recordings and photoshoots.”

Changkyun felt his phone buzz but didn't check it, focusing instead on his hyung. “I would like a traditional korean dinner please. Just some warm rice, kimchi, and fish sounds really good. If we had enough time, I wish we could make some fresh kimchi.”

Hyungwon hummed, “That sounds like fun. Let's do that next Thursday. We can salt the cabbages during the beginning of the week and do the rest of the vegetables that morning. I'll have Seulgi to buy us some earthenware pots and we can store them on the balcony. How does that sound? We can make enough to give some to Hyunwoo, Sojin, and the rest of our little group.”

“Sounds really good Hyung.” Changkyun checked his phone, frowning before putting down his phone and taking a big piece of duck. He smeared the sauce provided with the duck and rolled it in some lettuce before offering it to Hyungwon. “Here Hyungwon hyung. Open wide.”

“Aigoo, my thoughtful dongsaeng.” Hyungwon ate the wrap, his mouth bursting with flavor. He moaned, smiling widely at Changkyun. “The duck is always so good here. Let me make you a wrap.” Hyungwon made one for Changkyun, wiping off a drop of sauce off Changkyun's lip. “What did you read on your phone that made you frown?”

Changkyun sighed, tilting his head and running his hand through his hair. “I have a performance on Saturday but I'll only have one new song to use. I won't be able to finish the others I have until I move into my studio and then I'll have a little less than two weeks to have new music done. I also have some podcasts to upload and I need a new design for my logo. That was a text from Sojin to remind me that I gotta dye my hair for Saturday.”

Hyungwon sympathized with Changkyun, he hated dying his hair as well. His scalp was sensitive enough to bleed after four or five sessions. Changkyun's hair did better than his and Hyungwon was jealous. “What color are you thinking of? I might have to dye my hair black which would be a nice change from this blonde.”

“Sojin was thinking a bit darker brown and I agreed. So I'll probably get it done on Friday, along with a haircut. Black will look good on you hyung. Is it for the photoshoot?”

Hyungwon finished off the scallion pancakes, feeding Changkyun a pork dumpling. “Yes. It's a high fashion shoot where I'll probably be waiting for two hours while girls complain about their face and then I'll be done in thirty minutes, looking hot as fuck. And then I'll be shooting a soju commercial so I'll busy all tomorrow.”

“What soju?” Changkyun shoved two dumplings into his mouth, chewing slowly, enjoying the savory meat. “Is it Chamisul?”

Hyungwon shook his head, moving one shoulder up. “It's a new fruit soju that's suppose to taste like cherry. I had some and it's not too bad. Since it's mostly targeted towards women, they know that having a really hot guy promoting it will do them really well. I have a couple bottles that they gave me at home so I'll let you have some to try if you want.”

“Ok. Do we have any squid or fish to go along with it?” Hyungwon nodded, making Changkyun smile. “Sweet. We can have a little drink tomorrow when you come home from your long day out. That way you can relax and we can spend time together.”

Hyungwon grinned, patting Changkyun's hand with his. “You're literally the best baby brother I ever had.” Changkyun rolled his eyes, “I'm literally the only brother you've had and I glad I am.”

They shared a look, finishing the rest of the duck and dumplings in a comfortable silence. Hyungwon paid their bill, sipping his cider. “Well I'm going to go laze around for a little bit, relax. Have fun in class. Text me if you need something and I'll have it delivered.”

Changkyun sighed, “Lucky, I don't wanna go deal with Professor Lee and his weird habit of sniffling. I can't take notes while his nasally voice rambles on and on. Take me with you.”

“No chance. Not if I want to enjoy a little nap on the couch. Get going before you're later. Love you.”

Changkyun pouted but got up, kissing his hyung on the top of his head before waving him goodbye. Hyungwon stayed in his seat, picking at his plate and eating the little crumbs left over. He wiped his lips clean of grease and stretched his arms, rubbing his tummy as he left the restaurant. It was weird to have a little time to himself since he was usually in meetings or doing something concerning his gang but it was nice. But it did feel a little lonely but everyone was busy and it made Hyungwon feel like he should do something.

Then it struck him-he could buy Changkyun's present. Now if he remembered right, Changkyun wanted a new guitar, some recording equipment, a Gucci watch, and some new cologne. Now Hyungwon knew he could two out of the four items Changkyun wanted but was that too obvious of him to get Changkyun something expensive? He wanted Changkyun's gift to scream thoughtful. He wiped off his lips and fingers, checking his phone as he made his way to his car. He researched the nearest instrument store, hoping to buy a nice guitar.

He set his car's gps and went to a music store a couple miles away. He browsed the guitars, skipping over the acoustic ones and moving to the electrics. He skipped over a hot pink guitar with tacky blue flames, not liking the other tacky guitars on the wall before one finally got his attention. It was a simple guitar, black with silver detailing. He smiled at the cashier, pointing to the guitar. “This one. I'll also take any accessories that I'll need.”

Hyungwon swiped his card, surprising the cashier as he didn't bat at the price, which was pretty high. He took the guitar case, guitar inside, and slung it over his shoulder. “Thanks.” He accepted the plastic bag with the extra strings and guitar picks. Hopefully Changkyun really liked the guitar but just in case, he purchased a very sexy Gucci watch, to be specific the Gucci YA126402 G-Timeless Mens Quartz Watch. The black face would look great against Changkyun's skin and the silver band would be comfortable to wear. With guitar and watch bought, Hyungwon stashed them in the back of his car, the only place Changkyun didn't look when it came to searching for his gifts. He covered the bags with a jacket, debating on whether he should buy some groceries before shaking his head and just driving back home.

He didn't see his housekeeper Seulgi, but the apartment looked very sparkling clean and it made him feel nice. Hyungwon wasn't sleepy but he did feel a bit grimy and a bath sounded pretty good. His bathroom had been custom designed to maximize comfort and laziness, expanded using one of the three bedrooms the apartment originally had. Unlike the living room and kitchen, which were decorated with blacks, silvers, and burgundies, the bathroom was covered in a beautiful pastel pink with small details of silver. The pink always calmed him down on a stressful day and he knew that if he took selfies in the tub, he looked hella good with the background.

On one wall there was a very large tub, enough for three people to sit in. On the other wall was the vanity, toilet, and a two person shower. A very useful two person shower, he had to admit. He looked under his sink, digging through the buckets of bath bombs and different bath salts to find his favorite bath bomb, one that was rose scented and colored the water a deep fuchsia. Hyungwon took one, hesitating before grabbing another. He started up his tub, making sure he started out with very hot water.

Hyungwon shimmied off his clothes, dropping them into the basket next to the sink. He felt the water with his fingers, water scorching hot. He switching to cold water, dropping the bath bombs while he checked his phone. Changkyun sent him a picture of a classmate sleeping, a sharpie in hand. He frowned as Sojin sent him a text saying he had to dye his hair for the shoot and they would go at six in the morning. That meant he had to go to bed a little earlier or else the makeup artists would have to cover his eye bags even more than they normally would have to.

Hyungwon turned off the tub, dipping his finger in the water and sighing at the perfect temperature. He went through his playlists, choosing his bath time playlist which was composed of ballads and instrumental music. A soft guitar solo came out of his phone, prompting him to enter the tub, leaning against the side with his legs crossed at the ankle. Hyungwon wished he had some champagne and strawberries and maybe a hot guy to share them with. But he would conform with a nice soak and maybe a good nap.

Hyungwon dried his hand on a nearby towel, setting a timer on his phone to make sure he didn't drown in the tub. With music still playing in the background, Hyungwon closed his eyes and dozed off. Hyungwon didn't dream often, he usually had nightmares that lingered even after he woke but when he dreamt, he had dreams about flowers, about his future, and sometimes about his friends. He couldn't remember them all that well but it was nice to not wake up in sweat and tears. This particular time Hyungwon didn't dream but he did feel refreshed as his phone rang loudly, his hands cupping to hold some water to splash on his cheeks. He tapped his phone to turn off the alarm, leaning his head forward to let his hair fall into the cooling water.

His phone buzzed, momentarily softening his music before getting louder. Hyungwon leaned over to read what he could from the message preview, chuckling in amusement as Namjoon had texted him a thumbs up emoji along with the word gym. Which meant that Hyunwoo hyung had hopefully gotten the cutie's number or checked him out at least. With the time now blaring out at him, Hyungwon's stomach decided to rumble, signaling that it was time for Hyungwon to take a proper shower and get out. His finger pulled on the plug, draining the tub and leaving Hyungwon cold. A quick shower warmed him but he shivered from the cold air of his bedroom.

Hyungwon rubbed his arms, “It's balls cold in here. Where's that remote.” Still naked, Hyungwon dug through the various remotes in his nightstand. He saw the one for his tv, the one for his massage chair, but he couldn't find the remote for the air conditioner. He propped his hands against his hips and sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Changkyun must have taken it. Oh well.”

It was getting pretty late and Changkyun was probably already home so Hyungwon grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a shirt before joining Changkyun in the living. “Hey kiddo, when did you get back?”

Changkyun looked up from his textbook, his finger trailing off the sentence he was reading. “About an hour ago. I peeked in and you were asleep so I've just been doing my homework. I went ahead and put the multi-grain rice to cook. I asked Seulgi noona to go and buy some fresh fish and more milk so she'll be back soon.”

“Oh Seulgi was around? I didn't see her when I came back. Did you look in the refrigerator to see how many side dishes we had left?” Hyungwon answered Namjoon's text with a heart and a question mark before noticing he also had a text from Sojin.

 **Sojin** :  
Photographer changed. It's Kyujong. He wants black hair so we'll leave early to get it done.

 **Hyungwon** :  
Alright see you in the morning

Hyungwon placed his phone into his sweats, getting up to shuffle to the kitchen. “Yes hyung. We still have beansprouts, eggplant, spinach, fermented tofu, and we even have the ingredients to make soondubu jjigae.” Hyungwon gave Changkyun a look, his eyebrow quirked up. “You mean we have spam and sausage left? After you decided to replicate that scene from Honey I shrunk the kids?”

Changkyun pouted, closing his textbook to join his hyung in the kitchen. “You know that chili was good and the volcano got some good use. But yeah we still have some, not much but enough for the two of us.”

Hyungwon nodded, “How long as Seulgi been gone? Do you want to start cooking the jjigae?” He grabbed the bright blue apron and threw it at Changkyun before putting on the black one for himself. “I got a text from Namjoon that Hyunwoo might have made contact with a cutie at the gym.”

Changkyun tied the apron for Hyungwon before doing his. “She's only been gone twenty minutes so if we start cooking now, she'll be back in time for use to cook the fish and then eat.” Changkyun started pulling out the ingredients, Hyungwon pulling out the pots and pans they needed to use. “Do you think Hyunwoo got his name or just watched the cutie?”

Hyungwon shrugged, taking his cutting board and chopping the green onions into small pieces. “I just want him to be happy but I'm sure that he just watched the cutie work out. It'll take him some time to work up the courage even though the man can jump through a shootout and come out unscathed.”

“That doesn't require looking at a cute guy and asking them out on a date, which will eventually lead to making out and eventually sex which at the simple mention, makes Hyunwoo hyung turn as red as a lobster.” Changkyun held out the leftover spam and sausage, which Hyungwon cut into bite sized squares. “You should tell Namjoon to snap a pic of the guy and send it to us. I mean they need just a picture to run a background check.”

“Ooh good idea.” Hyungwon shot a quick text to Namjoon, quickly focusing back on the chopping otherwise he'd cut off a finger. “Give me the rest to cut and focus cooking the stew. By the way what did you do with the air con remote? My ass was freezing when I got out of the tub.”

“Oh it's in my room. I got hot last night and you left the remote on the couch.” Changkyun took slices of pork, oiling the pot before adding in onion and garlic. “I think I hear Seulgi noona.”

As Changkyun put the pork to cook, Seulgi came into the kitchen carrying bags of groceries. “Well well look who's awake. Did you have a good nap in the tub? You know that's bad for you.” She put down the bags and started pulling out the food. “I got you guys plenty of fruit and veggies so they should last you a while. Here's the fresh fish you wanted and I got two gallons of milk since it seems like we're chugging the stuff. Do you need anything else before I go and check on your laundry before leaving?”

“Actually there is.” Hyungwon rolled his neck, yawning. “We were planning to make kimchi in a couple of days, so can you go and buy some earthenware pots and the ingredients to make it? Get about thirty heads of cabbage, maybe forty. That should be enough for our little group. I also need some new bb cream and shampoo. Do you need anything Changkyun?”

“I decided to make the motion lab with playdoh and wooden balls. So I need a couple colors and some balls.” Changkyun paused and Hyungwon bit his lip, not saying a word. Seulgi grinned as Changkyun shook his head. “I also need some small toy cars. That's it.”

“Alright. I'll have them by tomorrow. Remember that I have my cell on me if you need something.” Seulgi bowed and left, her black heels clacking against the marble floor. Hyungwon watched her leave and smiled, winking at Changkyun. “That girl's got such class huh? Her fiancee is so lucky.”

Changkyun nodded, “If I was straight, I probably would have had a crush on her.” Hyungwon nodded, “Same same. I'll get the fish cooking, finish the stew and then we can eat. Still want that soju? It's in the fridge under the leftover dakgalbi. The squid is next to the cucumbers.”

Changkyun rummaged through the fridge, still mindful of the now bubbling kimchi jjigae. “I'm so surprised about how well you know the fridge when you're home like forty percent of the time and how eighty percent of the food was made by you. What's next, are you going to bake a cake?”

“If you want a cake, just buy the stuff and I'll try my best.” Changkyun grinned, hugging Hyungwon as hard as he could. “You're the best hyung ever! I love you.”

“Just a little promise of cake and you get easy huh? Nice to know.” Changkyun smacked Hyungwon's shoulder, who was chuckling. “I'm joking. I love you too. Now I'm hungry so let's hurry up.”

Hyungwon got the fish sizzling in the pan, sprinkling on a tiny bit of salt and pepper before plating them. As Changkyun set the table, Hyungwon portioned out the side dishes and set the kimchi jjigae on the table. With stew, fish, side dishes, and soju on the table, Hyungwon grabbed some chopsticks and spoons before sitting down with Changkyun. “It looks so good and I'm salivating.”

Changkyun took a deep breath, cuddling into Hyungwon's arm. “I'm so glad you can cook. I'm surprised more guys aren't hitting on you when they find out you can cook.” Hyungwon huffed, “All the guys hitting on me are classic fuck boys that aren't worth my time. It's hard when people think you're a brainless model.”

“Just tell them you're the boss of an all powerful mafia and see how far that gets you.”

Hyungwon sat down at the table, rolling his eyes at Changkyun. “And find myself admiring a pair of shiny silver bracelets from the boys in blue? I'm ok dealing with dumb men and narcissistic women but if you find a super buff, kind guy who doesn't mind me as a mafia boss, let me know.”

“Sure hyung I'II try and find you a super hot guy but you gotta find me a really cute guy who can sing like a god but can roast me the very next moment. Preferably my age and height please.”

They looked at each other, sighing before digging into their food. Hyungwon focused on the kimchi stew while Changkyun stuffed a huge chunk of fish and rice into his mouth. “Here Changkyun, try the soju.” Hyungwon poured him a little bit to try, passing him the glass before pouring some for himself. “If you don't like it, I do have another bottle of regular soju.”

Changkyun sipped the soju, wincing a bit before setting down the glass. “It's not too bad, a bit strong but I could get use to it. It does remind me of you, how weird. At least it's better than that orange Americano my friend let me try. That was awful.”

Hyungwon made a face, “That seems awful. So do you want me to whip something up for your makeshift motion lab? I'll have time in the morning before I get busy in the afternoon with meeting potential captains and going over the weapons deal.”

“I wouldn't mind some kimbap. I don't want to distract them with your awesome cooking.”

“Alright, is kimbap and ramyeon ok?” Hyungwon picked up a slice of eggplant, humming at the delicious taste of sesame oil. “I can pick up some beef so I could make makeshift bibimbap.” Changkyun hummed, pausing his chewing to smile at his hyung. “I'm really glad we have money to eat.” He glanced down at the table, “It's hard thinking back to before you found me.”

Hyungwon set down his chopsticks, taking Changkyun's hands into his own. “Sometimes I think about it too and I'm glad I found you too. Now let's not think about sad things, stay positive. But which do you want? Kimbap and ramyeon or kimbap and bibimbap?”

“Just kimbap and ramyeon is fine. If I feed people too good here, they might want to come back and I'll end up having a posse. If you haven't noticed, at any point we could become just like one of those movies where the cute boy invites people over and they find out he's secretly rich and his older brother is a gorgeous model. Except nobody would ever think that we're part of the mafia.”

Hyungwon chuckled, “You know I thought that yesterday when I ate ramyeon next to a stranger last night. He was really hot but I didn't give him my number or anything.”

“Hyung he could have been your soulmate! What if you never see him anymore? You can't have a forbidden romance where he's angsting about dating the head of Seoul's most powerful mafia. You won't even get a chance to tell him about your never ending love for him and that you'll change just for him.”

Hyungwon pretended to vomit. “That sounds like a Hallmark movie, how gross. But does that mean that the same would happen to you? You fall in love but nobody comes near you because of your status of eventually inheriting the gang. And then you find the perfect guy but someone kidnaps the both of you to get to me and I rescue you guys but he can't take it and the both of you leave to live a happy life.”

Changkyun snorted, picking at his fish before taking a bite along with some beansprouts. “That would probably be the movie of the month. How does it end?” Hyungwon poured himself more soju, nibbling on some squid. “It ends when I defeat the rival clan who's been making trouble and I sustained a life changing injury. You come back and I die in the hospital, leaving you all my money.”

“That's definitely the movie of the year. We should make that.” Changkyun scraped the last bits of his rice into his soup and slurped it all up, burping into the back of his hand before reaching for his soju. “Hani could be the lead and Hoya could be the rival gang leader. I don't know who could be the baby brother but it has to be someone cute.”

“We'll see but it's a little too close for comfort to our lives so it would have to be changed a lot. Are you finished? Just put the dishes in the dishwasher. Do you have homework or are you free to watch a movie?”

Changkyun gathered the dishes as Hyungwon put away the leftovers, scraping the plates before rinsing  
them and setting them inside the washer. “I have a two page paper due tomorrow about the first two chapters of the book we're reading in class. But other than that, I'm up for a movie.”

“Alright, do your paper. I'll just browse the tv until you're done. Sounds good?”

Changkyun grinned, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Sounds good.” He hugged Hyungwon before leaving the kitchen, leaving Hyungwon to make sure everything was clean and put away. He suddenly remembered the air con remote and he leaned out into the hallway. “Kkukkung! Don't forget the remote to the air! I need that to not freeze tonight!”

“K hyung!” Hyungwon plopped himself on the couch, grabbing a blanket from the love chair. With his feet propped up on the coffee table, Hyungwon closed his eyes as he turned on the tv and let the idols singing on the screen lull him into dozing off. His head leaned against the arm of the couch, his phone silent in his hand. He didn't wake up to Changkyun leaving his room and even an hour later, him chuckling at his sleeping hyung. “Poor hyung, he must have been tired. Good night Wonnie hyung.”

Changkyun made sure Hyungwon was covered properly before turning off the tv and making sure it wasn't too cold in the living room. He made sure Hyungwon's phone had an alarm set and plugged it in to charge before making his way back to his room, ready to sleep deeply.


	3. Wednesday the 3rd

Changhyun was a sweet and thoughtful brother but setting Hyungwon's alarm for five in the morning was asking to get a bullet in the ass. Not a life ending injury but it would surely be a life changing one. Hyungwon peeked one eye open, his lips swollen as he winced at his dry mouth. He reached around for his phone, finding it on the nightstand next to him and disconnecting it with a tug. He groaned at the fact it was five but he knew he would need the time to shower, eat, and get his hair colored before the shoot.

He shot Sojin a text, knowing she was already awake.

 **Hyungwon:**  
I'm up. Showering. Pick up something tasty to eat  


**Sojin:**  
I'll be there by six. I'll have your usual waiting.

With his usual breakfast being a chocolate croissant and a very large coffee heavy on the sweet side, Hyungwon sped up. His shower time was cut down to fifteen minutes and with his hair still a little wet, he patted himself down with a towel and scrambled to get dressed. Since he was going to strip down at the photoshoot, he slipped on some jeans and a thick purple sweater, barely sitting down on his couch to breathe when Sojin came through the front door.

“Ready? We have a lot to do. We'll dye your hair and Kyujong gets you first. Once the photoshoot is over, we'll shoot that soju commercial and then have lunch before we have to go record a refrigerator commercial, followed by dinner and a late night photoshoot with an up and coming photographer who wanted a feminine, yet masculine high fashion shoot.”

Hyungwon sighed, hand coming up to rub at his temple. “So two photoshoots and two cfs? I won't be back until late huh?” Sojin sheepishly grinned, “Sorry. Now hurry and and eat so we can go color your hair. Kyujong said he wanted as dark as we could get it so I booked us a session with Gemstones because you know that if we go anywhere else, Taeyeon will kill you.”

“She's more likely to dye Changkyun's hair bright green than hurt me.” Hyungwon shoved the rest of his croissant into his mouth before taking a large sip of his very hot coffee. “Grab my bag and I'll let Changkyun know I'm leaving.”

With Sojin moving to gather his bag, which held his wallet, keys, and anything else he needed when he was gone basically the entire day, Hyungwon quietly entered Changkyun's room, ignoring the piles of clothes on the floor and the semi-naked boy on the bed to grab a sticky note. He left a small message, detailing where he would be and to call if he needed something.

He found Sojin talking on her phone and patted his pockets, making sure he had his own phone before sipping his coffee and waiting for Sojin to finish. Sojin smiled at him, hanging up. “Sorry, that was Kyujong. He changed his mind on the hair color and decided he wanted a bright pink instead.”

“Pink? I'm supposed to change my brown hair to a bright pink? That's going to take a bit of time.”

Sojin held the front door open, “Then let's go. I have an update on Taemin's showcase. Besides presenting the group as the inspiration behind his designs, he wants you to wear your piece and flaunt it during the party. It's a very intricate necklace choker combination that he'll pair with an intense smoky eye with small gems littering your eyes.” Sojin sighed, “He wants you to also have a small photoshoot before the party so he can release the pictures afterwards.”

Hyungwon got into Sojin's car, placing his empty coffee cup in the cup holder next to him, “So I get to dress up, look hot, and I get to flaunt what my momma gave me in the span of at least four to six hours? Do I get to keep the piece?”

Sojin nodded, flawlessly guiding the car through the already crowded roads of Seoul. “He said it's the least he could do because of your gorgeous face basically becoming the face of his brand for a couple of hours. Exposure for him and you respectively.”

“Sounds good. Am I posing with anyone for the photoshoots? Last time was a disaster and if I have to see that stupid model's face again, I'll have Hyunwoo get rid of her. There was no reason to throw a temper tantrum because my pictures turned out much better than hers, that was a given.”

“Well you'll be alone unless Changhyun comes back from his trip with Jonghyun, remember they were throwing a massive charity even in Japan and you were invited but you were busy with attending that other charity party and sent Changhyun that check for a couple hundred million won.”

Hyungwon hummed, he did remember and god he had been busy at that time. “When is he scheduled to fly back in? Maybe we could send him a nice fruit basket.”

“My sources say he won't be back until later tonight which makes Kyujong sad since he knows you guys would make such a striking couple for his pictures. But if he comes in a little earlier, Kyujong may ask that he pose with you. But I have a feeling that Jonghyun will have them hidden away in their home for a while.”

Hyungwon sighed, “Well at least someone's getting some. Did you get a text from Hyunwoo or the boys about their little gym mission?”

“I got a picture for background analysis and it's running right now at home. I'll send you the information when I get it but he looks promising so far Hyungwon. No criminal charges, no civil charges, nothing. He looks like Hyunwoo's type.”

“Bright, exciting, and feisty? Sounds about right. Good tell the boys to keep pushing Hyunwoo to flirt with the guy unless something pops up. Don't forget to investigate his friends because if one of them is hot, I wouldn't mind getting to know them.”

Sojin parked her car. “Yes yes you thirsty bitch. We're here now let's go color that hair of yours. I had them bring out a nice wine for you to have while you wait for them to finish.” Hyungwon smiled as he entered the hair salon, shrugging off his jacket and handing it off to Sojin. “Sounds good to me. Where's Taeyeon?”

“Right here Wonnie.” Taeyeon strutted towards him, her bright red hair flowing gently behind her. She handed Hyungwon a glass of red wine as she reached up to touch his hair. Her fingers grasped a strand of his hair before rubbing it between her fingers. “Well at least you're taking good care of your hair which is more than I can say for some people, like a certain Yoongi who came by to get his hair colored green.”

Taeyeon led Hyungwon to his usual corner where he could see the entire salon, sitting down as Taeyeon grabbed a couple of bottles from her shelf. Sojin motioned to Taeyeon's office, where she would be if Hyungwon needed him. “I heard from Sojin that Kyujong wants your hair bright ass pink and I agree. You'll attract attention from all sides and you better tell them where you get your hair done because I want more business.”

Hyungwon sipped his wine, “Of course I will, you're the only one who does my hair just the way I want it. Now any updates I should know about?”

Taeyeon mixed the contents of two bottles, vigorously mixing it. “Our little team hasn't done much right now. I think Hyunwoo has Yoongi looking up some leads for a possible location to a small time gang who's been trying to start up a loan scam business around the outskirts of our area. So we'll probably be busy soon before your birthday trip, which I'm totally excited for. Lean your head back.”

Hyungwon set down his wine, leaning his head back so Taeyeon could do her magic. “I'm excited too. Sojin has figured everything out and I'm ready to lay on a beach and have a little hottie hit me up. Drinks and sun a plenty. Do you know who else is coming?”

“Everyone from Hyuna and BamBam's teams, most of my team is going except for Kyuhyun. I think he won't be back in time flying in from New York. But like nobody's going to miss an all expenses paid trip to France, even if it's for three day and nobody is going to miss Changkyun's party either. France and Spain, like everybody is ready to party. Don't forget that if you can't get foreign ass, everyone will offer theirs. It's the biggest honor and you know it.”

“Bragging rights because the boss fucked you, huh?”

Taeyeon massaged his hair, smirking. “Of course. It doesn't help that apparently you're a catch in bed. It's only a shame that you lean more towards men than women because I know the girls have been betting to see who can catch your eye. Right now the bets are leaning towards Gyuri because she cooks really good. So is there any chance she'll get in your bed?”

Hyungwon hummed, “Not a bit. But do you wanna hear a little something? I met this really hot guy while getting ramyeon the other night and he was just my type. Very buff and he seemed like a nice guy. Too bad I didn't get his name.”

“Not even a picture? You should be more careful when talking to strangers but like would you suck him off?”

Hyungwon looked up, winking. “Most definitely.” Taeyeon laughed as she rinsed his hair, which was now a dingy color. “One more session of bleach should be good and then we'll color it. Drink your wine and rest a bit before I continue.”

Hyungwon patted his face dry with the small hand towel Taeyeon handed him, taking a gulp of his wine. Taeyeon left him for a bit to gather the color he was going to have so he checked his phone, seeing a text from Changkyun saying good morning and to basically have a good day. He chuckled before sending him a selfie of his slicked back hair, before stretching his arms out. “Tired?”

Hyungwon held out his empty glass, letting Sojin fill it up. “A bit but I had a pretty good sleep on the couch. Good food and a nice sleep, you know that's all to make me happy. Did you get any work done?”

Sojin sipped her glass, shaking her head. “Yes and no. I received a couple more offers for you to model and do some runways but I also got one for you to dj an upcoming club. So I just need to do some background checks and think about who's going to guard you before I accept their offer. Other than that, I've just been dealing with some finances with Youngjae. We're doing very well.”

“How well? How big's the bank?”

Sojin wiggled her eyebrows. “More than sixty billion. With owning several legal businesses, owning several illegal businesses, having members that had their own job, and having inherited the clan from your father, you are doing extremely well.”

Sixty billion was a very hefty number and a very appetizing one as well. “Is it weird that hearing we have so much money is slightly turning me on? Never mind don't answer that just give me more wine and tell me how much longer I have here.”

“About an hour or so, you know Kyujong is taking all this time to prepare so it wouldn't bother him if you were late. Here comes Taeyeon with a very nice shade of pink. Be good for her.” Hyungwon sipped his wine as Taeyeon came back to him, holding a black bowl and a couple of bottles. "Alright let's bleach your hair again and finish you off.”

Hyungwon nodded, allowing Taeyeon to do her job. By the time he finished his wine Taeyeon had his hair on its way to being pink and he was liking it. The shade was a good bright pink, one that he would have never chosen for himself. He probably would have picked a nice red or blue but those colors were a bit cliché, especially for a gang member. Taeyeon blow dried his hair, brushing the new pink stands gently. "So? Do I got it or what?”

Hyungwon chuckled, glancing at himself in the mirror in front of him. "I really like it. Give me more business cards and I'll distribute them at the photoshoot. Tell Sojin how much I owe you and make sure you do Changkyun's hair good when he comes in.”

"Yes Sir.”

Hyungwon got up, checking his phone to see it was definitely time to go. He waited for Sojin while she paid, taking a selfie and sending it to his brother. "Let's hurry Wonnie before Kyujong decides to have you go shirtless with a pair of leather jeans. And even though you would look good like that, let's not get on his bad side.”

“You know that wouldn't be bad if we added some bad ass fake tattoos for a private photoshoot.”

Sojin laughed, turning onto the street where they were having the photoshoot. “Maybe we can set that up and release the photos as a little gift for your fans.” She parked the car in front of a warehouse, handing over a pack of gum. “Here you know you get hungry fast.”

Hyungwon pocketed the gum while getting out of the car, sliding open the warehouse door to see people fluttering around. He let Sojin deal with Kyujong and the other important people while a stylist came up to him while holding a pair of black jeans and red shirt. “Here, hurry up so we can do your face.”

Hyungwon did as he was told, shoving his clothes into a bag Sojin handed him. Thankfully the clothes didn't tug a his skin as the stylist noona had him sit down as she did his hair while a makeup noona painted his lips a deep red. With his eyes lined with glitter red and lids smoked out, he looked like a a gothic wet dream, with plenty of silver rings on and his ears had cool dangling earrings on. Sojin took one look at him and raised an eyebrow, “I'm surprised that you're not wearing mesh and showing your nipples off.”

“Hey leave my nipples alone,” Hyungwon wiggled his eyebrows, “Plenty of people like them just fine. Is Kyujong ready yet? Any other models?”

“Yes, Jennie from BP Entertainment. It's mainly you today but she needed some advertisement. So it's business as usual until she comes in.”

They walked together to see Kyujong throwing orders to a young boy, fixing the background just the way he wanted. It was a bright white backdrop with a black leather couch in the middle. Several tables were littering around the couch, covered in various knickknacks. Kyujong grinned, walking over to shake Hyungwon's hand. “God that hair looks fabulous on you. I knew that would be better than pure black. Go sit on the couch and throw a leg over the arm, look pouty yet bored.”

The first shoot went as he expected, doing what he was told for two hours straight, bending his body as much as he could on the couch. It was pretty boring but at least Kyujong was quick and efficient, making sure he got what he needed before making Hyungwon go and change into navy blue shorts paired with a pink tank top. The glitter liner switched out for a simple black liner with gemstones littered around the tops of his cheeks. His lips were wiped off and the red lip was replaced with a slightly pink gloss. With his new outfit, he was led to a new background where Jennie was waiting next to a very soft looking bed.

Kyujong waved him over, his hand on Jennie's shoulder. “Hyungwonnie! I'm sure you know Jennie so we'll just jump straight into it. I want you guys to look cute and I want you guys to show off the cookies we'll provide for you, Got it?” Hyungwon nodded and watched as a table was set next to the bed, a plate of really good looking cookies on top. “Alright go eat while I set up the camera. Play nice and look good.”

Hyungwon sat on the bed, grabbing a cookie while Jennie sat next to him also eating a cookie. “So are you joining me for the soju commercial after this short shoot? Sojin said you needed some publicity.” Jennie shrugged her shoulders, nibbling on a chocolate cookie. “My manager didn't say anything about a soju commercial but I do have to go film a small shoe commercial and then I have to go to a meeting about a role in a drama.”

Hyungwon licked his fingers before grabbing another cookie, handing Jennie another. “Sounds good. I think Kyujong has been getting photos of us already so let's stay natural. So how do you like being a model? I know you barely debuted a couple of months ago.”

“It's hard.” Jennie laid on her side, face still facing the camera. Hyungwon leaned back on his hands, a cookie halfway out his mouth. “I didn't think I had to watch everything I ate or try to make sure I was up on all the current fashion trends. It's the smallest things I have to check for and it's taxing. I don't know how you do it.”

“It's a balancing act. I figured out early that eating is the most important thing I could do. So I ate what I wanted to and I turned down offers where they wanted me to lose weight. I don't care about the money when it comes to my health. Besides I need more meat on my bones anyways. In your case, eat what you want in moderation and exercise.”

Jennie nodded, seeing Kyujong move his hands in the air and followed his instructions. She moved so she was leaning against Hyungwon, holding out a cookie for him to bite into while smiling. They worked in silence, the hour long shoot going by faster than expected. Hyungwon stopped eating cookies halfway through, wanting to have space for lunch after the soju commercial. He saw Kyujong give them a thumbs up, clapping his hands after he took one more picture. “Good work guys, I got some great photos. You can have the outfits you've tried on. Hyungwon I'll send Sojin the pictures I wanna post and make sure she isn't hard in choosing. Jennie, great job. I hope to work with you soon.”

Hyungwon smiled at the praise, waving as Jennie left with her manager, her phone number in his phone. He would definitely look out for her on all aspects, especially if she came to him with 'problems' that he could take care of secretly. Sojin came up to him, munching on an apple slice. “Are you ready to go? We need to go down the street to shoot the commercial.” Hyungwon nodded, grabbing his things before sending Changkyun a pouty selfie.

 **WonWon:**  
Two photoshoots down, two cfs and a shoot left before I can go collapse on my bed

 **Changkyunnie:**  
Coming home for dinner?

 **WonWon** :  
Might, have to see if pd wants to have company dinner

 **Changkyunnie** :  
k text me when you know. Might have a friend come over to have dinner and study

 **WonWon** :  
You just want me home to cook brat

 **Changkyunnie** :  
Nooo of course not  
…..Yes tots

 **WonWon** :  
We'll see

 **Changkyunnie** :  
Cool

Hyungwon chuckled, making Sojin glance at him before going back to the road and signaling to move into the left lane. “Something funny?” Hyungwon shrugged his shoulder, putting his phone away. “Oh Changkyun just wanted to know if I was coming home for dinner. He just wants to have me cook and maybe impress a friend with my cooking. Do you know if the PD from the refrigerator commercial is going to have a small dinner with the staff?”

“Probably not. I heard there might be another shoot later with a boy band, shooting their jacket cover. But you never know, they may come late or may reschedule. Do you want me to make an excuse if they ask for us to accompany them to a staff dinner?”

“Nah, I'll just tell them I'm busy. While I shoot the commercial, tell Seulgi to go grocery shopping for me to make steak and salads. Make sure she gets a good red wine and some sodas for Changkyun and his friend.”

“Got it.” Sojin parked the car, handing Hyungwon a water bottle. “Here, make sure you stay hydrated. I'm going to get us a reservation at that Chinese restaurant, the one that has those marvelous buns. I'll be back in half an hour, just make sure they don't make you drink too much and if you feel like you need help, you know the emergency button on your phone will bring the closest member to you.”

Hyungwon grabbed his duffel bag, shoving the water bottle into it before getting out of the car. “Yes mom, I'll make sure I have plenty of underwear too. Do me a favor and check up on all my captains and make sure that they followed my directions. I want everyone armed, including members like you. I want you to have two guns on you and three different knifes, no less.”

“Alright so lunch will be a little check in huh? I'll be quick then.” Hyungwon waved Sojin off as she drove away, quickly getting inside the building with his badge hanging off his neck. He saw the producer speaking with three other people so he went ahead and checked with the stylists, ignoring their small muttering as they started to look for his clothes. He didn't know who he was shooting with but hopefully it would be with someone he knew. Clothes were shoved into his arms and his body was shuffled into the changing room, “Be quick Hyungwon-sshi, Jihyun-sshi wants to get started as soon as you're ready.”

As Hyungwon slipped on his jeans, he asked the question that was on his mind. “Who am I shooting with? I don't see anyone else here.”

“No one. Yoo Changhyun was suppose to shoot with you but it seems that he had to decline the offer in order to do a different commercial about refrigerators. Jihyun-sshi isn't happy about that but she's going to work past that to make this commercial one of the best. So hurry so Minsa can do your make up.”

Hyungwon hummed, buttoning up the white shirt they gave him, slipping on a navy open neck sweater before slipping on a pair of slippers, knowing they weren't going to shoot above his waist. Shoving his clothes into his duffel bag, he left the small room to be forced into a makeup chair, a slightly chunky women already covering him in a medium coverage foundation. Hyungwon messed around on his phone, getting a small text from Sojin, who had arrived to the Chinese restaurant and currently making their reservation. Hyungwon moved his face down, helping Minsa so she could get started on his eye shadow. From what he could see, it was going to be a small smokey eye, lined with black liner. It was subtle and paired with the red gloss waiting for him on the desk, he was going to look naturally hot.

Once free from the clutches of the stylists, he met up with Jihyun-sshi, who he knew was once a top idol whose group disbanded due to a sex scandal. Jihyun had gotten a degree in film production and was currently one of the best when it came to commercials because of how well she could cater to the fans while still delivering coverage for the products they advertised. She was one of the ones who launched Hyungwon's career when he first started as a model, helping him out with casting him in a chicken commercial. Suffice to say her work involving him was one of the main contributions to his mafia funds, work that still made an impact on other companies.

“Jihyun-sshi, it's been a while. How are you? Is your husband doing well?”

Jihyun smiled, moving her headphones so she could hear him better. She shook his hand, grinning. “He's doing well. He's at work right now, trying to write lyrics to make a song for a rookie girl group. So he won't be home until late. How are you doing? I heard you were booked a good bit for cfs and photoshoots.”

“I am. I just finished two shoots before this and after I have lunch, I'll have another commercial and shoot and then I'll be done for the day. And then tomorrow I have to go take pictures for a flower shop advertisement, have a color of the year photoshoot, and have a dinner meeting with a new clothing sponsor before going home and looking over contracts. And that's just tomorrow.”

Jihyun laughed, her hands clapping in amusement. “That is busy. Well let's get down to business. The commercial will be focused on you, who's having dinner alone. You'll act lonely and decide to drink alone, ordering the soju we're promoting, and then when you get your soju your friends show up. Then you'll have a grand time drinking and eating. Sound good?”

“Sounds good to me. Tell me where you want me and who the extras are, so I can act natural with them.”

Jihyun pointed to a group of causally dressed men and women, then pointing to the table where a sizzling pile of meat was cooking. “Go and finish cooking the meat, put some veggies and kimchi down, look a bit lonely and sad. We'll start recording when you give us the go.”

Hyungwon watched Jihyun walk away to her camera, letting him walk over to the table where the meat looked inciting as it cooked. He sat down, making sure he was comfortable before composing himself, making himself feel sad before picking up the meat tongs, giving Jihyun the ok to record before sighing, picking up some kimchi and setting it down to cook. He thought back to when he found Changkyun on the streets after the attack on his home, malnourished, dirty, and in need of some love. Hyungwon hadn't thought twice. His hands moved without thought, cutting meat with the food scissors as his back slouched for the camera. He knew he looked sad as he pretended to order soju for himself, pouring himself a glassful before out of nowhere, the extras pretending to be his friends came and sat with him.

The commercial recording finished in one take, something that Hyungwon didn't do often but definitely took pride in. Jihyun and Sojin, who apparently arrived in the one take, clapped their hands for him. Jihyun grinned, waving Hyungwon to look at the footage. “Some of the best you've done. You look great, acting on point, and your interaction with the extras was seamless. The only editing I'll do is some up close shots of the soju, inserted when you order it and that's it.” She turned to Sojin, “I'll send you a copy of the final product for review. You'll get it in a week. There are bottles of soju for you guys to take home. It was nice working with you all.”

“It was nice working with you too Jihyun-sshi, give us a call if you want to work with us again. But now we have some lunch to grab, so we'll see you later.”

Sojin grabbed the soju bottles while Hyungwon changed back into his clothes, looking at her phone when she finished. “You did good, finishing the shoot in an hour even with not receiving a script or knowing what was really going on but as you know, that's how Jihyun-sshi works. She wants her actors to adapt and have their honest reactions on camera. Although how her shoots last less than five hours, is a mystery nobody has solved. Ready to eat?”

“Starving. So give me the updates I want as you drive.” Sojin clucked her tongue, her hands navigating them through the roads. “You can't even wait, can you? Alright firstly I checked all your captains and everyone in each squad is armed, including people like me who deal with a mixture of the underground and above. Yes I'm armed, so don't ask. I have updates over Youngwoon and his drinking.”

Hyungwon narrowed his eyes, his mouth pinched. “He better done as I've told or I'll have some punishment waiting for him.”

“He's doing as you asked and stayed away from drinking. I've given him a journal so he can record how he's feeling. I've made him a reward system so every one hundred days he'll get to go shopping with about a million won. That'll go for a year or until he does something wrong.”

They got out of the car, moving into the restaurant where the waiter showed them to their seats. “That system sounds good, let him know that I'm rooting for him. Next?”

“Junsu reported to me that the new recruits were doing well, even the rejected Miss. Jiyoon. Nothing suspicious yet. And in relation to watching over someone, Seven is sticking very close to Changkyun. There have been some questionable people but they were just simple students who wanted Changkyun to tutor them.”

Sojin ordered for the both of them, wanting to get back to their discussion. “Lastly I have heard back from Victoria and Narsha and it's not too bad. Besides the stuff we discussed on Monday, the weapons, the drugs, and the women, there have been reports of high schoolers getting attacked and having to buy protection.”

Hyungwon whistled, taking in a deep breath. “That hasn't happened since the gangs made the pact to leave students out of anything involving money since there wasn't any good profit from them stealing from their parents for chump change. Whoever is doing this must be in an area where the school really isn't looked at and where the boss isn't watching his turf. Any hints of whose turf it is?”

“I heard it was Jun.K's land. So you know he probably doesn't know unless Tao goes crying to him.”

Hyungwon sighed, “Why that man joined a gang, baffles me. Well when we have the meeting we'll see what to do but I know that once Jun.K knows, his anger is legendary. So for now, send word to him with a nice fruit basket, and let everyone know to be on alert.”

Their food arrived, ending their conversation with the delicious smells of the food. As they dug in, Hyungwon's mind wondered. His men (and women) were competent enough to stop any problems the had before it went up the chain to him and it surprised him when revolts or betrayals happened to other groups when he knew everything that happened before it even hit public news, such as who was dating who, which was more information than he wanted sometimes. But if you took care of business and took care of your people, the clan would be loyal beyond belief. At least that's what he learned from his father.

He bit into a steamed bun, melting from how meaty it was. “Do we own this restaurant? I want this day and night, it's so good.” Sojin giggled, swallowing the food in her mouth before drinking some cider. “We don't own the restaurant but I'm sure they wouldn't mind us simply buying them out and just giving them money to expand.”

“Let's do it now. Once we finish and pay, let's ask for the owner and write him a check. Quickly check how much this business and just have the paperwork ready. I want it under Changkyun's name, it'll be a nice surprise.”

Sojin smiled, “Such a good brother you are. Sounds good, let me look right now.” She picked up her phone, browsing the market price of the restaurant and the land it was on. “It looks like the price for the land isn't much, just a simple forty grand. The price for the restaurant is a couple grand as well. If you want to buy everything, then you're looking at about seventy grand.”

“Sounds good. Let's eat up.”

The rest of their lunch was filled with a comfortable silence, often broken with small talk about gossip. Hyungwon frowned, pointing his finger at Sojin, who ignored it by opening a dumpling and adding a small amount of soy sauce. “I'm telling you that Jongin was eyeing Taemin at the last full meeting we all have and that Taemin totally was checking him out as well.”

“And I'm just saying that Sehun was checking out the both of them while Tiffany was completely jealous that two guys want Taemin while Kyuhyun won't look at her.”

Hyungwon scoffed, “Everyone knows Kyuhyun is pining over Sungmin. That man bought Sungmin four new outfits and a brand new pair of shoes. Tiffany should know by now that Kyuhyun isn't going to look her way. But do you know who is?”

They shared a look. “Jinyoung.” Sojin coughed as her laughter caused her to choke a little. Hyungwon poured her a little water, snorting as she slowly drank it. “Why does it feel like we have become Gay Central? I mean Youngjae and Daehyun, Hyukjae and Donghae, Sunggyu and Woohyun, Hoya and Dongwoo.”

“Don't forget Jungkook and Seokjin, Sunny and Jaekyung, and you of course. I just think somewhere along the lines, someone decided our family was the hottest place to be if you were gay or otherwise.” Sojin shrugged her shoulders, waving her hands at Hyungwon offering her more water. “I mean the other clans around us don't have that many people coming out to them. So it must feel free here.”

Hyungwon licked his lips of the grease there. “Actually there was something I wanted to talk to you about. This is a little bit ambitious but I was thinking of building a resort that caters to clans exclusively. Something comfy but luxurious that can be a safe place as well as a grey neutral space for meetings and discussions. I want it to be a place where if there's an issue between members, there'll be space for them to stay the night.”

“That's incredibly generous of you.” Sojin watched Hyungwon shake his head. He took a long drink of his cider, clearing his throat. He sighed, taking another bite of meat. “It's not that. Remember when I found Changkyun? It was hard to see him like that and to think there are others that get picked up by clans just because they couldn't find another place to be and then if they have problems with their gang, they have no place to be. I wouldn't mind opening an orphanage either, for the public.”

“So a resort and an orphanage? That sounds so respectable that the clans would give you even more street credit and honor.”

“Well I don't care about the cred, let's just make this happen. I haven't said anything to Changkyun but I want to design it with him. Just the two of us with you as an outside opinion, just in case we can't decide. Is that ok?” The waiter came by to see if they needed anything, nodding when Hyungwon asked for their manager. He walked away with a slight frown and Sojin laughed. “It sounded like we hated the food when in reality, it was great. But anyways that offer sounds great and I'd gladly be part of it.”

Hyungwon grinned. “Good. I think I see the manager now. He looks so calm although I plan to rock his world, hopefully.”

The manager, an older gentleman with a large mustache, strolled up to the table. His hands went behind his back, as if he was a soldier waiting for orders. Hyungwon watched as a bead of sweat went down his cheek, down to his neck. Sojin and Hyungwon glanced at each other before giving the manager a smirk, making a shiver go down his spine. “How may I help you? Was there something wrong with your food?”

Hyungwon laced his fingers together, letting his chin rest on top of them. “No, the food here is exquisite and we had a very good lunch. We wanted to talk to you about business. Please sit down.” And although Hyungwon looked a bit scruffy, he gave the manager a look that basically said 'sit or I'll make you'. Which led the manager to have a nearby waiter fetch him a chair. He sat down, pulling out a handkerchief so he could wipe at his face.

“What is this all about?” Sojin sat up, letting her finger touch the rim of her drink. “This restaurant makes wonderful food and the atmosphere is very relaxing. We are interested to know if you plan to expand or invest in making new restaurants in your name.”

The manager looked at them with a bit of suspicion. “I'm quite comfortable where I am right now although my wife would like to expand and try her hand at owning a bakery. Why do you ask.” Hyungwon grinned. “I'm interested in buying out your land and restaurant and helping you expand.”

The manager was shocked. “Why? With what money?”

Hyungwon snapped his fingers, a gesture he only used to make a point in front of potential customers. Sojin tapped something on her phone and held it up for the manager to see. Hyungwon knew it was the bank account they used when they wanted to show how interested they were in investing in something. It wasn't the mafia's main account but it was still impressive. The manager took the phone, his mouth open.

Hyungwon chuckled as Sojin took back the phone. “Well? Going to take me seriously now? Listen because I'm not going to repeat myself. I want to own this restaurant and the land underneath it. I want you to expand this location and I'll go ahead and fund the bakery your wife wants to own as long as you serve me and any of my friends for free from now on.”

Hyungwon motioned for Sojin to give the manager his card and got up from his seat. “There's my number, I'll be in touch.” They left the manager speechless as they made their way to the car, holding back their laughter as they got in. Hyungwon looked at Sojin, close to laughing. “You give him the number to my second phone right?”

“Of course.” Sojin made the car start, pulling out and moving them to their next and last shoot. “I wish I had recorded you to show the others because you acted just like a CEO who just bought his newest suit.” Hyungwon couldn't hold his laughter back, “I feel like I just bought a new suit. Maybe I should buy a new one later. I was thinking about a nice burgundy suit.”

“That would be nice. You know what would be also nice? A new dress.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes, checking his phone. “Yes yes Sojinnie, you can have a new dress. Just take my card and buy what you want. Treat yourself and send me a selfie when you do.”

Sojin sighed, turning the steering wheel to the left. “If only I could find a man like you, one that treats me right. He doesn't even have to have a high paying job, he just has to love me.”

“It also doesn't help that you're surrounded by good looking men most of the time.” Hyungwon fluffed his hair, “I can't help that I attract the good looking ones and they turn out to have a lot of potential. Remember how you came into the picture? You looked scruffy but sorta cute and now look at you, gorgeous. It's a skill I have.”

“Sure sure. Now for the refrigerator commercial, you don't know the producer so don't be an ass to him. Just act natural and hopefully you'll get out in three hours instead of four. I've been told you'll be alone so it should be easy.” Sojin hummed, parking the car.

“Got it. Be nice, look good, and stun the cameras.” Hyungwon left the car, holding his bag. Sojin rolled down the window, leaning over to speak. “I'm going to check with Seulgi to see if she bought your groceries already and I'll get to work getting you suitable samples to build and decorate the resort. I know what you like so if you don't mind?”

“Go ahead. Hopefully this shoot won't take too long and I can help.”

Hyungwon nodded, waiting until Sojin left to go inside. Sojin was right that Hyungwon didn't know the producer, who looked like a nice older man. Hyungwon stood in front of the producer, bowing enough to be polite. “It's very nice to meet you, I'm Chae Hyungwon.” The producer smiled at him, bowing back and shaking hands with Hyungwon. “It's an honor working with you. I'm Lee Sangmin. The stylists are waiting for you, so ahead.”

Hyungwon did as he was told, looking around until he found a large group of women. He barely got near them before one stylist grabbed his arm and guided him to her station. He plopped down on the chair, sighing as a foundation sponge came near him. He felt like a cake with how much foundation she was using. But he did look flawless so he let it go as she did his eyeshadow. Hyungwon knew the refrigerators were a dark color, so the stylist did his eyes as a gradient, with a dark blue in his crease and a bright blue as his main color with the middle a glittery silver. It was intense and Hyungwon really liked it, even more with the soft baby pink lip they put on him. The clothes were minimalist, a black turtleneck with a pair of navy skinny jeans. A pair of bright blue sneakers finished his look and he thanked the stylist and met back up with the producer.

Sangmin PD waved Hyungwon over, motioning to the set in front of them. “I know you got a script but I redid the script. Here's the new lines and rehearse them. We'll start recording in fifteen.”

Hyungwon nodded, standing to the side while reading his new lines. Much didn't change, such as him dancing around the refrigerator or modeling against it, but he was now going to comment about the features. He repeated the lines in his head until he felt like he could say them without messing up. When it was time, Hyungwon stood next to the set of black refrigerators and took a sensual pose. With his hand up in the air and his back arched, He waited until the music started playing.

The music was a smooth jazzy number, something that really got him relaxed as he rolled his body and did a body wave. He glanced at one refrigerator before looking at the other, as if choosing one. He winked at the camera, “With features such as a touch screen that let's you control the temperature and air flow, it's a tough pick, isn't it?”

He moved to one fridge, leaning against it softly as he whispered into the camera. “Take care of your kimchi with a drawer as endless as the ocean with three cameras connected to your touch screen.” He moved to the other fridge, caressing the side, “Or stream photos and music as you're cooking, be as connected as you want.” Hyungwon glanced at Sangmin PD as the music stopped. “Good but let's do that again. Make sure your eyes look sultry at the refrigerator as you whisper before looking at the camera.”

Hyungwon nodded, turning his face before yawning into his hand. The next two hours passed as Hyungwon repeated the first part of the commercial until Sangmin PD liked the footage he got and they moved onto the second part, which was Hyungwon sitting down against a refrigerator and pulling out the bottom drawer. He would going to look inside before grinning at the camera and whispering the name of the refrigerator and saying how nice and cold it was. It was a simple commercial but that's how refrigerator commercials were, surprisingly. And that second part, thankfully, only took an hour to shoot.

Hyungwon refrained from rubbing his eyes as he reviewed the footage. He really liked how he looked against the refrigerators, all sexy and smoky. This commercial was going to draw many offers for the future. He waited until Sangmin PD nodded at him, thanking him for a good job before he changed out of the clothes and getting back into his. It took him various face wipes before all the foundation came off his face, along with the intense eyeshadow and glitter. His face was a little red from all the rubbing but he grabbed a wet wipe and patted his face. He felt a little better as he checked his phone, seeing that Sojin was parked and waiting for him whenever he was done filming.

Hyungwon said his goodbyes, making sure he shook everyone's hands before escaping. He spotted his car as soon as he got out of the building, a beacon in the dark. He climbed into the car, sighing in relief as he got to lean back in his seat. Sojin looked behind her as she backed out, one hand on the wheel. “How was recording? You look a little red in the face.”

Hyungwon sighed, touching his face. “I was covered in makeup, like covered. Wait until you see the commercial, you'll be so surprised from how intense it was. Anyways did Seulgi finish grocery shopping?”

“As of one hour ago. Changkyun is currently at home studying with a friend over.” Hyungwon hummed, pulling out a comb from his bag. He combed his hair, just enough to make it look neater. “Who's the friend? Has a background check been done?”

Sojin rolled her eyes as she moved into the next lane, frowning at the traffic that was up ahead. “Her name is Kim Chanmi. Her mother is a butcher and her father is a teacher, quite the change huh? Mrs. Kim is majoring in Business and shares a math class with Changkyun on Tuesdays and Thursdays. No ties to anything illegal and has no criminal record.”

“Good. Keep an eye on her for a couple more days but make sure Changkyun doesn't know. Have you bought that Chinese restaurant from earlier?”

“Bought and papers will be ready tomorrow. On your desk are the samples for the new resort. I went to several stores and obtained the sample book from each. So there's about seven books from individual stores, so make sure you look at them in a timely fashion.”

Finally back at his home, Sojin parked the car and watched as Hyungwon got out. “Text me if you need me, I'll be checking our arrangements for tomorrow since you have two important photoshoots. I'll come back around eight to pick you up for our last shoot. Don't drink too much.”

“Yes yes Mom.” Sojin left as Hyungwon got into the apartment complex, going up to reach his apartment. He unlocked the front door, smiling as he heard talking from the living room. Hyungwon set his stuff down in the closet next to the front door and called out, “Changkyun! I'm home.”

Hyungwon stifled a laugh when it went silent. “Hyung we're in the living room!” Hyungwon rolled his eyes and strutted into the living room, chuckling as he saw Changkyun laying on his stomach while his friend was on the couch, her feet underneath her. Changkyun looked up at his hyung, grinning. “Hyung this is Kim Chanmi, do you mind her staying for dinner? This math is just horrific.”

Hyungwon smiled at Chanmi, bowing slightly. “Hello Chanmi, I'm Chae Hyungwon but you can call me Hyungwon oppa if you want. I don't mind you staying for dinner, I already asked Seulgi to buy enough ingredients for at least five people.”

Changkyun took one last look at his textbook before pushing it away, stretching. “What are we eating tonight hyung? I peeked in the fridge and I saw a bunch of veggies.” Hyungwon winked, moving into the kitchen and going straight to washing his hands. “I'm making steak tonight with a side of salad and mashed potatoes. Does that sound good?” Chanmi gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. She turned to Changkyun, who gave her a sheepish grin. “Is he for real? Steak on a Wednesday night? Is he celebrating anything?”

Changkyun shook his head, not really wanting to explain but he had to say something. “Nope. It's just a regular Wednesday. Want to take a break? My head hurts.” Chanmi gave him a flat look, pointing her pen at her notebook. She showed him her almost empty notes and pursed her lips. “It's only homework that's worth fifteen percent of our grade. Finish one more problem with me and we'll go harass your brother like you obviously want to.”

Changkyun groaned, rolling around on the floor. “Fine.” He picked up his textbook, startled when Hyungwon peeked his head out the kitchen. Changkyun pouted at Hyungwon while Chanmi admired how gorgeous Hyungwon was. “Changkyun don't slack off just because I'm here, you lazy poop.”

Chanmi giggled at Changkyun's put off face as he whined loudly. “Hyung! How can you call me a poop when you're the one who slacks off when Sojin brings you contracts to review. You made that one modeling contract into a paper airplane because you didn't like the other person they wanted to pair you up with.” Hyungwon frowned at the reminder. “Don't remind me of that man, he's disgusting. I can't believe he slept with most of the models and didn't even bother to return their phone calls.”

Changkyun slapped his textbook, gasping as he remembered something. “Hyungwon hyung guess what. I was talking to Hani the other day because she really liked that lotion you got me last Christmas so I bought her one and we chatted over some coffee. And she told me that Kim Heechul took an interest in Min Kyunghoon.”

“Really?” Changkyun nodded. “She said she saw them talking after a shoot and that Heechul hyung's hand was on Kyunghoon's arm the entire time.”

Chanmi tapper her finger against her lip, thinking deeply. “Are you talking about Min Kyunghoon the singer and Kim Heechul the actor? Heechul oppa likes men? I thought that was just a rumor.”

Hyungwon snorted, leaning against the kitchen entrance. “Kim Heechul doesn't just like men, he likes both women and men. It's just a matter of who interests him and who doesn't. I'm not too surprised that Kyunghoon caught his eye because Heechul loves catching people who are rebels and taming them. I'm sure that once Kyunghoon sees the light, he won't be able to let Heechul go. He's a very addicting person to be around.”

Chanmi gasped, her hands coming up to her mouth. “I never would have guessed. I mean the last time I heard about Heechul oppa was when he was dating Hara unnie.” Changkyun and Hyungwon started laughing, Changkyun wiping tears from his face from how hard he was laughing. “Hara noona and Heechul hyung go together like oil and water. It just doesn't happen and now that Heechul hyung is after Kyunghoon hyung, you won't see anymore scandals from now on.” He turned to his brother, “So if Heechul hyung reined in Kyunghoon hyung, would you do a shoot with him?”

Hyungwon licked his lips, biting his lower lip. “Maybe.” He looked at the clock in the living room, “I need to get started on dinner before I have to go to my last shoot. Changkyun finish your work.”

Changkyun and Chanmi followed Hyungwon with their eyes before Changkyun turned to Chanmi, with a straight face. “The answers to the next three problems are five meters, four hundred and four, and seven. Can we go hang out with hyung now?” Chanmi rolled her eyes, writing the answers on the side of her paper before setting everything down. “Yeah yeah little ducking, let's go.”

–

Dinner had been delicious with how buttery the steak had been. It almost made him sleepy but unfortunately he had one more photoshoot left and boy was he excited for it. Yang Yoseob was an up-and-coming photographer who was bringing new ideas to the fashion world and Hyungwon wanted to shock the world with how versatile he was. Sojin had told him that this shoot was supposed to be a gender neutral shoot, where Hyungwon was going to wear a mixture of female and male clothing. Which he was certainly ok with.

Getting out of the car and stretching, he left Sojin to go find Yoseob and greet him as he greeted the stylists. He would introduce himself after he was finished getting ready. He sat in a chair in front of a big mirror, closing his eyes as a sponge patted against his skin. Primer, foundation, powder, and an extremely bright yellow eyeshadow, Hyungwon let the stylist paint his lips a golden yellow, with a light dusting of glitter on top. It was a fierce look that he loved enough to take a selfie and send it to Changkyun, who liked it as well.

He was handed a long black shirt, which looked like it was sleeveless. It was definitely sexy and Hyungwon didn't mind. He received some very short black denim shorts and Hyungwon got an idea of what his outfit was going to be. So he changed quickly, finding out that the shirt hung off his shoulders, with the middle splitting near the bottom to show off his stomach, and the shorts were just long enough to cover his ass. There were a pair of boots waiting for him, the heel about four inches. It was high and it would make him even taller but he could deal with it.

He got a text from Sojin to hurry up so Hyungwon made his way to the group of people surrounding the camera. Sojin stood next to a cute looking guy, whose sharp eyes locked onto Hyungwon. Yang PD looked stylish with his bright red jacket and tight black jeans, and it only made Hyungwon more excited. Standing next to Sojin, Hyungwon bowed deeply and shook Yang PD's hand. “Hello I'm Chae Hyungwon and I'm very honored to be working with you.”

Yoseob took Hyungwon's hand and smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. “Yes I know. I'm ready to see what you're made of. We'll be doing three different sets of photos. First we'll be doing a fierce theme where I want to see you do strong lines with your body as you pose. I want you to show off those legs of yours. Then I'll have you do sexy and then finish off with a sporty theme.”

He pointed to the set in front of them, which was blank except for a couple large white blocks. “Go ahead and get ready, just make sure you don't mess up your makeup. I really want to emphasize your femininity.”

Hyungwon nodded as Yang PD went to his camera, choosing the tallest block and debating how to pose. He had to show off the clothes while looking fierce, which was harder than what people thought. Hyungwon's face couldn't look too sexy nor it couldn't be too ugly. It had to be a perfect mixture and Hyungwon decided to pose like he was at one of his meetings with his captains. Serious and powerful. So using the cube, he sat down sideways and opened his legs up. His hands went behind him as he arched his back, his face towards the camera.

Yang PD whistled at how the fire in Hyungwon's eyes came out on camera, mixing with the brightness of the yellow color on his face. “Good I like that. Keep it up.” Flashes filled Hyungwon's eyes as the shoot started, his body moving slowly so the camera could capture all his angles. He slowly turned around so he could rise from the block. His feet slightly ached from the high boots but he knew his thighs looked great so he held in his sigh.

The first hour went by slowly as Hyungwon got used to Yoseob's directions of how he wanted Hyungwon's body. The lights around him made him get sweaty and he took a small break to hydrate and eat kimbap Sojin had gotten him as a snack. Rolling his neck, a stylist fixed his lips for the last fifteen minutes before he had to change. Yang PD moved his camera for some close up shots before sending Hyungwon to change.

With the theme of sexy Hyungwon found himself wearing a long white coat where the sleeves were cut in half vertically, so the cloth was dangling from his shoulders. He wasn't given a shirt, just tight white jeans and bright pink sneakers. He glanced at a mirror, a bit interested. The last outfit had been a bit more sexy but his abs would definitely be the main point here. With his makeup, they wiped his face clean and instead of yellow eyeshadow, they blended a light pink on him first before adding a darker pink. It was such a pretty gradient that didn't need much eyeliner and instead the stylist added small sparkling gems under his eyes. With a little bit of blush and a plump red lip gloss, Hyungwon looked edible.

When he got back to the set, it had been changed to a large bed surrounded by flower petals. Hyungwon thought it was a cliché set, using a bed and flowers but that didn't mean he wouldn't do his best. He was a little surprised when a different stylist came up to him and asked him to open his coat a little more so he could make Hyungwon's chest shiny. The oil felt cold and greasy on his skin but he said nothing as the stylist wiped off any excess. Yang PD came up to Hyungwon and nodded, liking what he saw.

“Alright I want you be natural but sexy all at the same time. I want small peeks of your chest as you pose and I want emphasis on your arms. The last shoot focused on your legs, now this set will be about your upper body.”

Hyungwon took the water Sojin handed him as they made some last minute light changes. He sipped it before giving it back as they gave him the ok to get on the bed. Getting on the bed, Hyungwon paused as he thought about how to pose and be natural but still be totally sexy. One pose came to mind and Hyungwon moved, leaning against the headboard and turning his face so it was barely facing the camera. His hands made sure that one shoulder was exposed while the other was slightly covered, his legs crossed at his ankles.

“Good! Arch your back just a bit.” Yoseob turned to one of his staff, his finger tapping against his lip. As the cameras started going, Yoseob pursed his lips and stopped the shoot. “Hyungwon take off your shoes and socks please. I don't like how they look on the bed anymore.”

Hyungwon kicked off his shoes, handing his socks off to a random staff member before going back to leaning against the headboard. He raised one hand above his head, smirking at the camera as he bent one of his legs and left the other straight out. Hyungwon heard them playing sensual music and internally chuckled, getting right into the beat. Feeling daring, Hyungwon rolled onto his back and spread his coat around him like a snow angel. Yoseob clapped his hands in glee, liking how the picture out. “That's what I want! More!”

Hyungwon laughed as the music turned a little dirty, with explicit lyrics that he could kinda understand. He peeked over to Sojin who gave him a thumbs up and motioned for him to focus. Honestly Hyungwon did sexy themes easily so the hour they had set aside turned into 45 minutes and Hyungwon was whisked away to dress sporty. This time Hyungwon was given a choice of outfit; one stylist held a pair of black capri length yoga pants with a purple crop top and the other stylist had white tank top with white shorts. Both outfits were nice but Hyungwon wanted to make a fierce impression so he chose the first outfit, laughing as Sojin shook her head at him. “You're just lucky that Hyunwoo took time to make you a training regimen. You wouldn't have abs due to the way you inhale food. Changkyun is getting a little chunky, better have him train with Hyunwoo before we have to roll him to his gigs.”

Hyungwon fluffed his hair, “I know. I've already told him he's gotta buff up a little or he might be in trouble later on. He's agreed so every other Tuesday he's working out with Hyunwoo. He won't turn into a chunky baby, even though he'd be super cute.”

“That's good. Now hurry up so we can finish up and go home. You need to get some rest because you have more photoshoots tomorrow.”

Hyungwon sighed, letting another stylist clean his face. “What are we doing tomorrow? I know it's important.” Sojin glanced at her phone, opening her schedule to see what Hyungwon had for the next day. “You have a flower photoshoot where you're promoting the flower of the year and then right after, you're going to be promoting the color of the year as well. Both are important for this year's fashion trends and thankfully they are going to be brief shoots since they already have ideas of what they want. Then you'll have dinner with fashion mogul Kim Heesun. Remember she wanted ten models to show off her gender neutral clothing.”

“So I'll be done by nine?”

“Yes but I'll have those contracts ready for you to review.” Sojin gave Hyungwon a look, to which he nodded. He needed to look over the profiles of all the girls they were getting and seeing how they needed to be processed and cleaned. He smirked, they would be prime A grade whores. “A slow day then, sounds good to me.”

Hyungwon thanked the makeup artist as she finished up the minimalist makeup on his face. Light foundation, a hint of black eyeshadow smudged on his lids, and a clear gloss on his lips. The set was full of workout balls, along with some exercise machines. He stood next to treadmill and listened to Yoseob. “Just work out and we'll do the rest.”

With the easy instructions, Hyungwon got on the treadmill, setting the speed to five miles an hour. An relatively slow speed for him. The sneakers they had him wear were so comfortable that he needed to tell Sojin to buy him and the others some. He spotted the camera next to him and turned his head just enough for them to get a good shot.

Sojin stood behind Yoseob, proud at how beautiful the photos were coming out. Hyungwon just had a stunning face that worked so well for the camera. And he was lanky enough to fit all the clothes they had for him. It was a win win and if he hadn't been the leader of a powerful mafia, Sojin knew that he would have skyrocketed as just a normal model.

The last shoot finished at a quarter past eleven, exactly three hours after they had started. Hyungwon made a quick escape, or as fast as he could giving back the clothes and scrubbing the makeup off. Thanking Yoseob and refusing politely to join him for a drink, Sojin and Hyungwon got back into the car. She handed a cold pack to sooth Hyungwon's irritated face while she got them on the road. “That was an amazing shoot, you did so well. I can't to receive the pictures for review and see what they do to enhance them.”

“As long as they leave my nose alone, I think they'll be fine. So what time do we have to be at the flower shoot? I was hoping to have somewhat of a normal breakfast with Changkyun.”

“That should be fine if you eat around six since Changkyun has class around eight and we have to get going around then as well. Tomorrow should be easy enough. Just ask him and let me know what you do for lunch tomorrow so I can reject anybody that asks you to lunch.”

“Alright.” Hyungwon got out of the car, leaning over to talk to Sojin. “Stay safe ok? I'll see you tomorrow. Check up on Hyunwoo and make sure he's hydrated ok? I know his swim practice takes a toll on his system.” Sojin fixed her lipstick, nodding the entire time. “Alright, I gotta go otherwise I'll never get to any paperwork.”

Hyungwon said his goodbyes, making his way to the apartment and smiling as he saw Changkyun asleep on the floor, surrounded by papers. He pulled a blanket out of the hallways closet and placed it over Changkyun's shoulders. Ignoring his office, he went right into his bedroom and stripped his clothes off. The silk sheets made his relax and the stress of the day just rolled off his skin. Sleep came easy to Hyungwon that night.

 


	4. Thursday the 4th

  
Breakfast was a simple meal of pancakes and bacon, with coffee from Hyungwon and juice for Changkyun. Just a simple meal of blueberry pancakes with a blueberry compote and maple syrup, and oven roasted turkey bacon. They looked at each other, wondering how they made a simple breakfast so complicated and fancy but Hyungwon shrugged and they sat down to eat. Hyungwon nibbled on a slice of bacon, enjoying the smoky taste. “So since you're done today by two thirty, are you going to focus on making that motion lab practice afterwards?”

Changkyun frowned, his shoulders sagging. “Yeah. I plan to glue the wooden balls to the front of the cars and I'll do the same with balls of playdoh. That way they can focus on how the cars rebound or stick to each other. Hopefully that will get through Hyosung noona's head. Are you still making kimbap and ramyeon?”

“I'm having Seulgi buy the ingredients tonight, I'll make the kimbap and the ramyeon just before I leave.” A glint appeared in Hyungwon's eye, “But if you want something a little special, I could make something sweet before my meeting with my new captains.”

Changkyun shrugged his shoulders, feeling a little guilty that Hyungwon did a lot for him and he hadn't done anything to repay him. But he knew Hyungwon did what he wanted because he loved Changkyun and not because he wanted something in return. After he got his first paycheck from his underground performances, he would definitely treat his big brother to something good. “I'm fine hyung. I don't want them to get too distracted with good food and I definitely don't want any of the girls thinking that they can come over anytime.”

“If only I had your problem when I was growing up. Instead of being popular, I was bullied for having a frog face until your grandpa decided that I know martial arts. Then people didn't bother with me until I reached college and I was deemed class hottie.” Hyungwon put his head into his hand, “But by then I wasn't interested in dating. Let me tell you, I had confessions left and right and boy did I leave people's hearts broken.”

Hyungwon sighed, thinking back on his college days. “There were some cute boys back then, too bad most of them were straight or an asshole.” He pointed his fork at Changkyun, “ If you become popular, enjoy it and manipulate it as much as you can.” Changkyun scratched his head, “How do you become popular in college? It's not like high school where everything is connected.”

“Popularity really happens when you join a fraternity and really involve yourself with the campus. But if people find out you're wealthy or talented, then people flock to you. I'm sure you'll gain some rumors when people spread how you live after Friday.”

Changkyun set his plate and Hyungwon's into the sink, grabbing a bottle of water. “If anything, Hyosung noona will be the one talking. She'll probably ask if I'm going to Boram's party and try to get to know me. Save me hyung, or else this apartment will be filled with young adults.”

“At least this place would be full of laughter. Make some friends and invite them over, then we'll talk about you attracting people. Just don't make friends with any weird people. I liked the girl from yesterday, Miss. Chanmi correct? She was nice and interesting, have her over more often.”

Hyungwon looked at the time on his phone and got up. “It's time for both of us to get out of here. Good luck in class and don't get in trouble.” Changkyun hugged his brother before leaving the kitchen. “Have fun with Sojin noona!”

Hyungwon yawned, waiting for Sojin to text him that she was downstairs. He went into the living room to see Changkyun shove his backpack on before slipping on his shoes, waving goodbye to Hyungwon so he could catch a ride from Hyunwoo.

By the door was his wallet and keys so all Hyungwon did was sit down and put on his boots, completing his look. With his dark jeans and burgundy hoodie, Hyungwon used the hallway mirror to apply some lip gloss. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and didn't bother to check it, instead he took his things and left, making sure he locked the door. Sojin yawned, taking a long sip of her coffee. “Good morning Mr. Hottie, you made quite the impression with Yoseob since he would like to use you again sometime soon for a commercial about a new bag that's coming out. You really stood out to him and it's showing.”

“It's just my charm that attracts them. I wouldn't mind working with him again since he really wanted to push my femininity and show that I looked good at it.” Hyungwon ran his hand through his hair, “Do you know who are photographers for today?”

“It's only one and it's renown photographer Park Sooyoung, or as you might her as Lizzy. She came from Japan because she loves doing the trend photoshoots and setting the mood for Korea. If she likes something, then it becomes the trend. She's got that kind of influence.” Sojin grinned as Hyungwon took a sip of her coffee and made a face, “That's what you get for trying to steal my coffee. It's black as black can be.”

“A purist. How noble of you. I am so sorry that I am so lowly because I put creamer and sugar in my coffee. But at least I won't be drinking just pure tar.” He leaned back into his seat, putting his arms behind his head. “Did you have breakfast? We had pancakes and bacon, nothing special.”

“Yes I did. I had oatmeal with strawberries and blackberries. I packed some for you later in case you get hungry before you get out to eat some lunch. I have to go coordinate with Ailee and Taehyung and see how they're doing. Then I have to go meet the rest of your captains for lunch so they can order off the catalog of supplies.”

“Make sure everyone's doing good. I want individual reports tonight to review along with the profiles of the women I'm selling.” He glanced at Sojin, “That includes you and any other specialists we're working with. I need to know if someone needs a vacation or a new gun. Did you buy a new dress yet? Because if you really want more than one, you can have another.”

Hyungwon smiled when Sojin cheered, “Two new expensive dresses? Thank you boss man, you're so kind. By the way I contacted that restaurant owner and it's now in Changkyun's name and I received word from Jun.K. He was surprised to know someone unknown was on his turf and sent out his goons to snuff it out. He thanked us by sending a very nice aged whiskey and I had it sent to your apartment.”

“Well that's nice of him. Maybe we can sip it at our next meeting.” Hyungwon looked out into the street, watching the exits pass them by. “When are we going to get there? We've been driving forever.”

Sojin looked at the navigation and rolled her eyes. “We have fifteen minutes left so chill your horses. Now remember, these two photoshoots are going to be very important in setting your career and making sure that you look good in the public eye. We'll donate to charity when the time comes and serve time at some shelters and the public will eat out of our hands. Thankfully we've made your background and everyone else's as normal as they can be.”

Hyungwon let the conversation died down into a comfortable silence as he thought about how much he had to appease the public just so if things ever went awry, the police would have a good opinion with him. He had to be careful but at the same time he had his informants who could deal with his problems. Jungkook was very good at diversions and a valuable asset, one he would never let go. Maybe he should do a fundraiser for the police dept. which would help boost their opinion of him. Either way it left his mouth feeling sour.

“We're here.” Hyungwon hummed, talking off his seatbelt as Sojin handed him a small bag. “Here's the oatmeal, along with some kimbap and chicken salad. If you want something else, I'll have Sehun deliver something. He's not busy today so it'll get to you fast.”

He took the bag and the umbrella, seeing it looked like it was going to rain. “Alright I'll see you when you come get me for the dinner meeting. Will Sehun bring me lunch? Or can I order delivery?”

“You can do either but let me know an hour ahead of time.” Sojin slipped on her sunglasses, even though it was cloudy outside. “I'll be back in eight hours and if you desperately need me, I'll have most of your captains with me.”

Hyungwon motioned for Sojin to leave before entering the building. His nose scrunched up from the intense scent of flowers, it wasn't bad but it was strong. He noticed a women pointing and talking loudly as people held large bundles of roses. She must be Park Sooyoung from how people were obeying her orders and of course the large camera in front of her face. Making his way towards her, he examined the set. The roses were white and yellow, with some pink thrown in. The roses were places all around a white couch and Hyungwon wondered what they will have him dressed in.

He stood next to Park Sooyoung, waiting until she turned to him before he bowed. “Hello Mrs. Park, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Chae Hyungwon, at your service.”

Sooyoung bowed lightly, waving her hand in the air. “Now now none of that Mrs. Park stuff, just call me Lizzy and it's nice to meet you too. I'm excited to work with you the next couple of hours. You certainly made an impression on Mrs. Jennie from BP Entertainment, she wouldn't stop complimenting you as we were drinking yesterday during a company dinner.” Her eyes narrowed at him in amusement, “So let's see what you got.”

Her hand motioned to the set in front of them. “So the flowers of 2018 are roses and chrysanthemums, which are those fluffy flowers there. First we'll shoot with roses and go with a bright and upbeat theme. I want you to be playful and show innocence with the roses and once we finish with the roses, we'll move onto the chrysanthemums. I want you to become a dark and seductive vampire with those flowers, got it? So roses equals innocence and chrysanthemums equals seduction. Any questions?”

Hyungwon bobbed his head, listening deeply. “I heard that this shoot will also be used as promotion for an up-and-coming flower shop?”

Lizzy grinned, her eyes twinkling. “Indeed it will be. That store provided all the flowers today and once the photos come out next week, they'll have a grand opening next Saturday. You're most certainly invited to show up of course, it would be a good publicity stunt.”

“I'll have Sojin arrange for me to make appearance since all I have next Saturday is a jewelry show and its after party to attend. Should I go get dressed now?” Lizzy winked, “I think you'll like the outfits I chose for you. Make sure you hurry back now.”

Hyungwon followed Lizzy's finger as she pointed to the dressing rooms and left her alone as a staff member came up and needed help with something. The first outfit was a white tank top and baby blue shorts with white socks. His makeup was light, airy, with a small amount of silver glitter on his eyelids. Lip gloss and a baseball cap turned backwards completed his look. He hurried up to the set, where Lizzy pointed to the couch and a staff member handed him a dozen roses, with the thorns removed. “Look cute with the flowers spread around you.”

Hyungwon leaned against the arm of the couch, gently placing the roses around him; in the crook of his arms, neck, lap. He put them strategically to where they looked best with his clothes, making sure a pink rose was put in his hair. As Hyungwon looked at the camera, Lizzy knew she would have to come back now and then to shoot some advertisements with Hyungwon as the main star. He was just that dazzling. She liked the way his eyes radiated brightness as he showed off the flowers around him, his smile dazzling. Lizzy had a staff member change the lighting near Hyungwon's cheek, making it more natural as he moved his legs around so he was perched on the couch arm.

Hyungwon's legs almost started falling asleep as he barely moved them, really moving around his upper torso more. So he decided to be a little playful, turning himself upside down before having a staff member let a handful of roses fall down his body. He laughed as a rose covered his crotch, not knowing it was a fun picture that Lizzy liked a lot. She moved from behind the camera to talk to Hyungwon. “Hey I'm going to have you pose with blue and white roses so keep it up with the playful image.”

“Got it.” Hyungwon stood to the side as the staff cleaned up the roses, including the one in his hair. He held back the urge to rub his eyes and end up with glitter on his face. He wished he had his phone as the staff members filled the couch with roses, wanting to take a selfie to send Changkyun. He sat down when the couch was finally filled with roses, taking a blue one and putting it on top of his head. An idea came to his mind, Lizzy started taking pictures while he made a flower crown. He grinned, holding up the crown before ruffling his hair, wearing the crown. He winked at the camera, shaking his shoulders.

The next hour was filled with Hyungwon goofing off at the camera, really portraying the innocent theme. Lizzy called for a small break so the set could be changed and Hyungwon could switch clothes and grab a small snack. Scrubbing his face, Hyungwon was happy to feel the makeup come off, even though he would have more on later. He quickly stripped, wearing a robe as he dug into his bag. He held up one container, seeing it had the oatmeal in it while the other had the kimbap and chicken salad. Leaving the kimbap and salad for later, Hyungwon dug into the oatmeal. The strawberries were tart and the blackberries were bursting with flavor, making Hyungwon hum with enjoyment as he ate.

He demolished the oatmeal, licking his spoon clean as his break was ending. Hyungwon put away the container, accepting the next set of clothes to put on. He knew the next set of photos were going to be sexy and the clothes reflected that. He received a deep red v-neck, one that was open down to his bellybutton, paired along with high waisted black shorts. He didn't get any shoes and he honestly thought he'd get a pair of heels with how much people wanted to show off gender fluidity lately. His makeup consisted a wild smokey eye, very blown out and enhanced with red eyeliner and medium sized red gems. Rocking a bold red lip, Hyungwon looked like a seductive angel.

Lizzy whistled when she saw Hyungwon, clapping her hands. “You look fantastic! Just the right amount of sexy that I wanted. Go wild and don't hold back.” Lizzy paused, before giving him a look. “Just don't get too sexy ok? The pictures would be amazing but I think your manager would have a heart attack.” Hyungwon gave her an ok as he checked out the set. Instead of a couch, there was bed (how cliché) that was covered with fluffy pillows and plenty of purple and red chrysanthemums. For Hyungwon, he liked the chrysanthemums better than roses, he liked the character they gave off.

Barefoot he climbed onto the bed and got to work as the lights dimmed, creating shadows on his body. He started off on his knees, letting his shirt opened up until it threatened to slide off his shoulders. His hands were behind him, holding him up as he glanced over at the camera. This pose sent shivers to the entire staff watching as Hyungwon looked very intimate with the flowers. Lizzy rose from her seat, moving her hands around as she spoke with Hyungwon. “That's good. Make sure you take some flowers and put them on your body. Let's go with a side picture.”

Hyungwon moved, stretching his body before laying on his side. He put flowers in his hair and in the crook of his neck and made sure his shirt was open. His long limbs really made the pictures look ethereal and effortlessly sexy. The rest of the flower photoshoot went by smoothly as Hyungwon showcased the chrysanthemums and gave Lizzy exact what she wanted. It was a surprise to Hyungwon when he got a break and grabbed his phone, only to see that four hours had gone by with ease. And with the staff now moving the set around for the color of the year shoot, Hyungwon took his lunch break.

With his food, not bothering to contact Sojin and Sehun, Hyungwon sat there mindlessly eating until Lizzy joined him with her own food. “Here's my star. Eating alone I see.” Hyungwon chuckled, his chopsticks muffling his words. “It's a habit when I go to photoshoots. If I eat alone, I get done quickly and I can get back to posing. How did the pictures turn out?”

Lizzy took a bite of rice and kimchi before gesturing wildly with her chopsticks. “Gorgeous. We'll just tune the shadows around your body a bit but otherwise, the clothes mixed so well with the flowers. You were made to be a model. I suspect that people will come running to you and beg you to model for them.”

“And people will come to you because of the spectacular photos. Your work shows how amazing you are.” Hyungwon and Lizzy shared a look before laughing. Lizzy wiped the tears of laughter off her face and coughed, “I know huh? Anyways since now we're done with the flowers it's time for the other trend shoot. The color is Ultraviolet, so a shade of purple basically. I want this set of pictures to be different. Since you'll be wearing the color, I want you to show it off by dancing. I heard from Sojin that you're a decent dancer so I want moves that will look good and pop off the photos.”

Hyungwon licked his lips, wishing he had more food but was decently full for now. He put away his container and focused on Lizzy. “That sounds fun to me. Will it be four hours like the flower shoot?”

“It'll be somewhere between three and four because I want you in three different outfits. The first outfit is something sporty, the second is preppy, and the last is a nerd concept. So combining the two shoots from today, you will have done five different concepts. That kind of variety will make your fans drool from how much you're giving them as well as make investors shell out more to obtain you.”

And it was at this point where Hyungwon realized Lizzy was a master at this game; creating photos and making sure the aftereffects were strong among the modeling game. She looked people head on and knew what she wanted out of them and she got it. She saw Hyungwon was tall and beautiful and she molded him with flowers and wild makeup, showing off his features. And like that, the rest of his afternoon flew by.

He wore a purple tank top with black shorts as he break danced, a sporty theme indeed. For preppy, a purple school uniform was prepared for him, making memories come back to him. He danced cute for the look before being whisked away to put on purple sweater vest and dance as chic as he could, putting the outfit and dance as opposites. It was a photoshoot he would remember because god was he tired of dancing in slightly restricting outfits but as Lizzy showed him pictures from the past eight hours he had worked, he knew it was worth it.

Thankfully the building had a shower and he jumped in, scrubbing off any makeup and sweat he had before toweling off and putting on his clothes from this morning. He knew he had to be quick because he only had an hour to get dressed formally for the dinner meeting he had with fashion mogul Kim Hee Sun. Kim Hee Sun was a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry, the first to have floor length hair and style it amazingly for when she walked the runway. She was the one who started a company from the ground up and have her models start the trend of switching gender roles. Hyungwon knew that a favorable dinner with her would be like scoring millions of wons worth of drugs for free.

Sojin surprised him by shoving a suit into the small room he was changing in. “Get ready, don't worry about makeup.” Hyungwon hurried up, quickly giving Lizzy his goodbyes before Sojin led him back to the car. Sojin started the car as Hyungwon slipped on his seatbelt, making him hold on as the car pealed out the parking lot. Sojin held out for him a yellow folder, Kim Hee Sun's name written across the top. “Here's what you need to know about tonight. The dinner is being held at Shine Forever and you'll be joined by Hara, Kyunghoon, JP's Yugyeom, Changmin, Taekwoon, Jisook, Hyunyoung, Park Bom, and Hyomin.”

Hyungwon mused, “So five boys and five girls.” Sojin nodded, “Yes to make things even. I know that we know most of these models but I want you to be careful. The dinner is set to last about three hours and by the time you get back home, your individual reports and profiles of the women you're selling will be waiting for you. Seulgi has reported to me and your ingredients for kimbap and ramyeon are in your kitchen.”

“Ok good. How are my captains?” Sojin sighed, “For the most part good. Hyuna had a mishap at her restaurant. A drunk couple decided to try and destroy her place because they couldn't get reservations for their anniversary. Nothing big was damaged and the police handle the matter quickly but she isn't happy.”

Hyungwon knew when Hyuna was angry, she was quick to strike and kill. He had to stop Hyuna before things got serious. “Throw the new male recruits at her and have her train them. That should get rid of her anger quickly. Slide her a couple grand to repair whatever damage happened. As for the couple, make sure they knew that they should never come around again, ok? Anything else?”

Turning right at the red light they were at, Sojin shook her head. “BamBam had to throw out some customers at his club due to the fact they brought drugs and flaunted it publicly while being aggressive to some of his bartenders.” She giggled, “You should have seen his face when he told me that girls flocked to him when they saw how assertive he had been. Hell he called it but business is business.”

Hyungwon frowned as he listened to Sojin keep talking. He hated when his captains had to deal with normal day situations because he didn't want the police sniffing around. “Sojin I want to throw a public stunt for the police department and make sure that Jungkook is noticed as a good cop. I want people to know that I care for the police dept. and that they should too. That will drive the moral to be boosted so I can make some good deals while people are distracted. The police can capture petty thieves and I can make bolder moves at night.”

“I'll contact the chief of police and see how much they need so we can publicly donate it while maybe throwing a big picnic.” Hyungwon smirked, running his hands through his still wet hair, making sure it didn't look too bad. “Sounds good. Is my makeup in the dashboard?”

“Yes, go ahead. But make it natural ok?” Hyungwon took out a bag, knowing that natural for him meant just some lip gloss and bb cream. So with a good squirt, he patted it into his skin, blending it until it was perfect. He took his favorite gloss, spreading it on his bottom lip. Smacking his lips together, he looked matte and gorgeous. He made sure his nails weren't dirty and he didn't have anything in his teeth and by the time he was done checking himself out, it was time to make his entrance. Sojin parked the car and refreshed her makeup before turning to Hyungwon. “Ok I have everything we might need: pen, paper, portfolio pictures. Just don't be clumsy ok?”

Hyungwon hummed and they got out, letting the attendant go and park the car. Hyungwon let Sojin hold onto his arm as they went inside. The restaurant was decked out modernly, with silver accents and surprisingly bright blue trimming. Hyungwon liked it a lot and wondered how much it was worth, knowing it would be a good place to use for fancy illegal deals in broad daylight.

The table they were guided to was in a private room, a big rectangular table that easily held thirty people. Which was the case this time. Kim Hee Sun sat on the opposite side of the door, with all the models and their managers sitting around. Hyungwon could tell he was one of the last ones arriving so he approached Kim Hee Sun and bowed, giving her a very proper greeting. “Mrs. Kim, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Chae Hyungwon and this is my manager Park Sojin.”

Hee Sun pulled down her sunglasses, looking at Hyungwon before taking them off. “It's very nice to meet you Mr. Chae, Miss. Park. Obviously you know me, Kim Hee Sun, and I'm sure you know your fellow models but just in case.”

Hee Sun motioned to her left, “Starting from Mrs. Park Bom, we have Mrs. Park Bom, Mrs. Hyomin, Mr. Taekwoon, Mrs. Jisook, Mrs. Hara” Hyungwon had to stop a smirk from coming on his face from seeing Hara, his informant in the model world. He saw that she struggled to keep a smile off her face so he moved his eyes to the next person. “Mr. Yugyeom and Mr. Kyunghoon. We are only missing Mrs. Hyunyoung and Mr. Changmin, who already informed me that he would be late. So sit and mingle while we wait.”

Hyungwon saw three empty seats: one by Jisook, one by Yugyeom, and the last one by Kyunghoon. Now usually Hyungwon would avoid Min Kyunghoon at all costs but with what Changkyun told him about Kyunghoon and Kim Heechul, he had to get the gossip. So politely, Hyungwon sat next to Kyunghoon while Sojin sat to his left. Kyunghoon glanced up from his phone, rolling his eyes as he saw Hyungwon and picked up his glass of wine to sip from it. Hyungwon coughed, taking the empty glass in front of him and poured some wine for Sojin and them for himself. Turning to Kyunghoon, Hyungwon lifted up the wine bottle. “More?”

Kyunghoon raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word as he tilted his glass so Hyungwon could pour. Once finished Kyunghoon took a deep sip, breathing in deeply. “Honestly I'm not surprised to see you here, after all it is about being gender neutral.” Kyunghoon's lips quirked, “You do look feminine.”

Hyungwon shrugged a shoulder, swirling around his wine. “The looks get the job done. I'm surprised you didn't bring Heechul with you instead of your manager, I'm sure he would have been more help.” Kyunghoon's eyes narrowed as Hyungwon licked his lips of any wine. Without a glance to his manager, Kyunghoon knew this talk wouldn't be leaked to the public, knowing Hyungwon could at least keep his mouth shut. “He's currently in Japan with an idol group doing a collaboration. He may be an actor but everyone knows that his idol days were the best.”

“I'm sure those idols will rise a bit in fame. Heechul knows how to maximize his ability to promote anywhere he goes, those idols will learn from him.” Hyungwon saw Kyunghoon's eyes soften as he remembered something before shaking his head to reply to Hyungwon. “He certainly does. I'm sure when he comes back he'll complain about not being a part of this campaign.”

“Are you close enough to him that you know how he's going to react? How nice.” Kyunghoon knew where the conversation was going and even though he was shy by nature (surprisingly), he went ahead and told Hyungwon exactly what he wanted to know. He leaned in so only Hyungwon could hear him. “Yes we are exactly what you're thinking and yes, I've stopped chasing women. I have enough on my hands, if you get my drift.”

Hyungwon hummed, “I see. Heechul is quite the person isn't he? I'm surprised he interested you.” Kyunghoon refilled his glass, topping Hyungwon's off. He gently swirled glass before commenting on Hyungwon's remark. “He was quite insistent in having me join him for dinner after a day of recording and his speech is refreshing compared to what I hear from most celebrities. All brass and no fluff, which is exactly my style.”

Hyungwon didn't remark back about how Kyunghoon having 'fun' with female models was fluff in his opinion but instead nibbled his bottom lip. A thought about who topped passed through Hyungwon's mind and his mouth opened to ask but the door to the private room opened, Mrs. Hyunyoung and Mr. Changmin walking in one after the other. Hyunyoung waved, her smile brightening up the room. “Hello, sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible coming back from Ilsan.”

Hee Sun waved them off, “Sit sit and we'll get down to business.” Hee Sun repeated the introductions before clapping her hands, having waiters come out of the shadows to fill glasses with wine and top off others. While the food was slowly coming out to fill the table, Hyungwon quietly salivated over the beautiful looking steaks and salads. It was food that if he wanted to, he could indulge in but he liked the simple things in life more often than not. Once the waiters disappeared and the food was right in front of everyone, Hee Sun spoke.

“Alright all of you know why you're here but if you need a refresher: I'm Kim Hee Sun, fashionista extraordinary. I want all of you to model the gender neutral clothes I have designed, as well to model what I like to call 'my super scandals', or the clothes I have designed to be daring and racy. You are welcome to decline, I won't hold it against you. But should you accept, the photoshoot and runway events will be hold during the entire month of March.” She had her assistant hold up a calendar of March. “We'll have four days of photoshoots, followed with the release of the photos in my magazine. Then we'll spend a week traveling, doing runway shows in Korea, then Paris, and the last one in New York. You'll get a small break before we do a interview, then I'll host a charity dinner. Any questions?”

Jisook raised her hand, her teeth nibbling on her top lip. “So that means for the majority of March, we'll be working on your project correct? We'll be the main models for the main promotion and after March, you'll be working on promoting your line without us correct?”

“Yes, after March I'll just be using regular models to show off the clothes. You will be paid well but you are certainly welcome to schedule other gigs as long as you don't interfere with my project.” Hee Sun smiled, “Any other questions? If not dig in!” Hyungwon leaned to whisper in Sojin's ear, hands slowly cutting his meat. “We're going to have to talk to Hyunwoo and the rest about March. If I skip too many meetings, it's going to look bad. We need to figure this stuff out eventually.”

“Roger that. Now enjoy your dinner because you still have those contracts to review.” Sojin turned to talk to her side of the table where all the managers sat, while Hyungwon turned to make conversation with the people in front of him, which were Hee Sun, Park Bom, and Hyomin. Hyomin gave him a smile as she speared a slice of asparagus. “Well Hyungwon-sshi I heard you were hired to be the model for the “Year” shoots?”

'Years'? Was she referring to the Color of the Year and Flower of the Year shoots? Hyungwon guessed he could have called them the 'Years' shoots. He licked his lips of sauce before dabbing any sauce he missed off. “Yes I was. It was earlier this morning.”

“Was it any fun? I heard Lizzy was the photographer and I know she's always full of energy.” Hyungwon shrugged his shoulder, not noticing his shirt shift and his collarbone slightly peaking out. But the girls across him did, eyeing it as he cut his meat. “I enjoyed myself as the shoots were innovating and challenging. Just wait until the photos are released, the outfits were amazing.”

Hee Sun's eyes narrowed and leaned in, her mouth pursed in anticipation. “Were they now? Who made them?” Hyungwon frowned, trying to remember who Sojin said made the clothes but his memory escaped them. He leaned over to Sojin, his head still trying to think. “Sojin who made the clothes for the shoot earlier?” Sojin pulled out her PDA and scrolled through her notes, “The designer asked to be anonymous so Lizzy made the nickname Mr. Blue for them. It's said that the designer will be revealed along with the photos as a way to promote.”

Hyungwon motioned towards Sojin, “There you go ladies, unknown for another couple of weeks. But I'm ready to model for you Mrs. Kim, I'm sure your outfits will be fantastic and innovating.”

“Of course they are, I've been studying trends and fashion colors for months now. I've traveled around the world to see the cultural influences and had a fun time with the runway events in America. My inspiration for this clothing line has helped me create dozens of outfits. We could keep this campaign going for at least three months but I didn't want to reveal everything in one go. Gotta keep people guessing and wanting.” Hee Sun winked, causing everyone to laugh.

Hyungwon kept eating, not saying a word. He was thankful that Hee Sun had only chosen a month to promote her line with them because otherwise he would have probably rejected the offer. He couldn't run his mafia if he was gone for three months. The dinner went smoothly as Hyungwon chatted about his brother and how cute he was. He had omit details such as him being an underground rapper (he wanted Changkyun to gain recognition on his own) and bragged how smart Changkyun was. He learned about Park Bom's crush on a singer that Hyungwon didn't recognize but the women around him did and agreed about how hot 'Dean' was. With his plate empty and denying any refills on wine, Hyungwon leaned over to Sojin. “What time is it?”

Sojin licked her lips as she flipped over her wrist to show Hyungwon her watch. Hyungwon sighed in relief as the watch told him it was almost nine in the evening, meaning the dinner was almost over. He was getting tired and he still had contracts to review. So he waited until Sojin motioned that she was fully and ready to go before turning to Hee Sun. “Sorry to interrupt but it's getting a little late and I still have work to be done. I really enjoyed this dinner and I can't wait to work with you.”

Hee Sun winked, “All work and no play makes for a very dull boy. It's going to be fun working with you Hyungwon-sshi.” Hyungwon and Sojin rose from the table, saying their goodbyes and bowing to everyone before a waiter showed them the way out, a second waiter cleaning their empty plates from the table. Hyungwon made sure Sojin's arm was on his as they waited for their car, ignoring any eyes on them. The car arrived in front of them, Hyungwon subtly checking it for scratches and nodding when he didn't find any. He tipped the attendant and got it, Sojin getting in the driver's seat. Once they drove off, Hyungwon relaxed. “Oh my god that was a hard dinner to get through.”

Sojin sighed, rolling her shoulders. “Hee Sun was definitely fishing for fashion details and the other managers were a bit rough around the edges. I had about four of them constantly asking for my number or subtly ask me if I was sleeping with you. I had to basically say that I wasn't looking and they could go fuck themselves.”

“If you have any more problems, let me know. I'll have Dongwook hyung intimidate them and I can have one of my new recruits replace them, if necessary.” Sojin gave him a smile. “Once again if I could find a guy like you, I'd be set. Handsome, hard working, and such a gentleman.”

Hyungwon rubbed his eyes, being careful not to smear anything. “Well I can spread the word that you are looking and I can guarantee that half of my men would show up at your doorstep tomorrow. You are desirable and I would totally date you if you were a guy.” They laughed, the music slowly filling the air and making Hyungwon drowsy. Sojin noticed and reached out to pat Hyungwon's thigh. “Take a nap, I've got to pick up a couple things before dropping you off.”

Hyungwon hummed, his eyes closing. Sojin turned on the heater, making the car a bit more comfortable as she drove to go get Hyungwon's dry cleaning as well as some things for his captains. She wished that Sehun was with her since things got done quicker with him around but that poor boy was in his second year of college and currently needed time to do homework and sleep. She couldn't wait until that boy finished and she could train him properly. About an hour and a half later, Sojin parked her car in front of Hyungwon's apartment and yawned. It wasn't too late but even she was tired but like Hyungwon, she still had work to do. At best she could go to bed at midnight, a good two hours away.

She rolled her head to Hyungwon, knowing he was a bit hard to wake up. She lifted her hand and smacked his thigh harshly, laughing as he jerked awake. “W-w-what? What's going on.” Sojin rolled her eyes. “We're here. Hurry up and finish those contracts so you can go to bed soon.”

Hyungwon yawned, the nap doing him some good. “Alright thanks Sojin. Don't go to bed too late ok? We have an important day tomorrow.” He blew Sojin a kiss before getting out. He watched as Sojin left, the night air quiet. It was nice outside, cool and brisk. If Hyungwon didn't have any work, he might have gone for a walk, maybe even go for some ramyeon. He took out his phone, humming. Maybe if he finished his work quickly, he could still do that. He made his way up, the living room dark. He heard noises from upstairs and knew that Changkyun was probably working in his room.

He briefly thought about going to see Changkyun but he wanted to get his work over with. He went into his office, sighing at the stacks of papers waiting him. Sitting down, Hyungwon started with the individual reports from his gang. There were about a hundred sheets or so, most of his grunts being condensed down to a paragraph of how they were doing. So there were at least three to four people on a page, even some people people who were delegated to a couple of sentences. Which meant his captains were doing their job controlling the disposable people. There were some people that needed some help so Hyungwon highlighted what he needed to and pushed those papers to the side. His main soldiers were all doing well and besides what he already knew about his captains, everything was good and he finished those reports in thirty minutes.

He moved onto the good contracts, the women he had bought. He had forty girls in front of him, sold either because a family couldn't pay off their debt or some other problems that Hyungwon didn't care to know. Either way these girls were his now and he had to decide what to do with them. Some were going to work in some of his shops and restaurants and the rest were going to be his whores. Hyungwon always liked making his deals a little sweeter by offering women as a little bonus. Sex sells, and Hyungwon exploited it well. He thought about expanded to buying young boys (not underage because that was a no no) but young eighteen year olds who had that innocent sweet look. Like Hyungwon back when he was barely legal. He put the uglier girls to the side, destined to work while the better looking girls were chosen to be whores. It was a crude process and Hyungwon supposed it was demoralizing but he didn't care. Money was money.

Hyungwon knew the girls were currently scheduled to get checked for diseases within the next week so he held off on choosing which would be his main attraction for the buying show he was going to have. Speaking of the buying show Hyungwon still needed to decide on the theme. He looked at the girls and pursed his lips, both sexy and innocent themes were a bit cliché even if it helped “sell” his girls for the night. Exotic came to mind and Hyungwon nodded, an exotic theme would do well. His clients would enjoy the subtly hints of mythology and fashion, and if they didn't, well he didn't care. Hyungwon took a pink sticky note and scribbled what he wanted, putting everything into a folder.

Hyungwon leaned back, rubbing his eyes. It was getting closer to midnight and his body was starting to feel heavy. But he wanted to take that walk, go out and enjoy his night before having to get up to make food for Changkyun's little study group. He changed out of his clothes into something comfy, a simple track suit, and grabbed his things. He scribbled on a sticky note, going downstairs and leaving it on the kitchen doorway in case Changkyun wondered where he was.

The moon was partially out as he walked to the convenience store, wondering if he would see that handsome man from before. He greeted the cashier and wandered to the ramyeon section. Last time he had gotten a spicy ramyeon, a cola, a kimbap triangle, and a small package of kimchi. Which sounded delicious even now but he wanted to change it up.

So he grabbed a jajangmyeon ramyeon, along with some cider and kimchi. Hyungwon eyed the steamed meat buns, knowing they could either be gold or disgusting. So he went up to the cashier and picked out a regular meat bun and a pizza themed one. He paid for everything, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before sitting down. His ramyeon was cooking so he sat down, putting the buns on top of napkins and opening his kimchi. He heard the microwave beep and he moved quickly, being careful with the hot ramyeon since his hands were sensitive with heat.

The savory ramyeon with the sour tang of the kimchi was amazing as Hyungwon took a big bite. He pulled apart his meat bun, chuckled as Changkyun's voice came into his mind, scolding him about not biting into the bun. But Hyungwon liked not having food running down his chin thank you very much. He shoved one half into his mouth and chewed, not minding the taste. It was pretty decent for a bun that's probably been sitting for a couple of hours.

He felt someone next to him and Hyungwon glanced up, briefly surprised to see Hoseok from last time. “Well Hoseok-sshi nice to see you again.” He spotted two ramyeon cups in Hoseok's hands and grinned, “Hungry much?” Hoseok smiled, plopping down next to Hyungwon. “Hey, yeah a bit. I worked out and had a small lunch before teaching a new choreography to my dancers. And now I finally got a chance to eat before going in tomorrow and working on the dance some more.”

Hyungwon hummed, taking another bite as Hoseok got started on his ramyeon. “Sounds fun, I have to get up early to make some snacks for my brother's little study group and then have meetings for the rest of the day. I wish I had the time to dance.” Hoseok perked up, slurping his noodles loudly before speaking, interested that Hyungwon might be able to dance. “Do you dance?”

“I love to dance and if I don't say so, I'm pretty good at it.” Hyungwon nodded vigorously, setting down his chopsticks to eat the rest of his meat bun. “My friends say I dance very smoothly even with the long limbs, which more than often gives me trouble. I just end up having no time to go a studio or even just dance at home.”

Hoseok hummed, “I know how that feels. My first two years of college were me struggling to make time to dance while studying business. I ended up telling my parents that I loved dancing and that I didn't want to study business anymore. They weren't too happy but they hated seeing me miserable more.” Hoseok licked his lips of grease as Hyungwon finished his food, stuffing the rest of his noodles into his mouth, followed by his other bun. “So now I'm living my dream every day.”

Hyungwon envied Hoseok, for the amount of freedom he had for following his dreams because for as long as he remembered, the mafia was all he was allowed to think about. Of course he loved his gang, having grown up with his members but he had been trained for it. He had ate, slept, and breathed mafia life until his father retired and left the gang to him. Hyungwon never had time to wonder what his dreams would have been until his father left for Paris. The doubts came to him in bed, making feel like he wasn't good enough but he knew better now. Now if anyone asked him, his dream was to have a big family, and he was living it. Hyungwon moved his trash to the side, wanting to keep talking to Hoseok.

“That's nice, following your dream. So besides dancing, do you have any hobbies?”

“Dancing takes up a pretty chunk of my time but when I'm not dancing, I love to read or go exercise. There's a gym not half an hour from the dance studio that I use, as well as quiet bookstore I visit. So I basically live in that small neighborhood three quarters of the time.” Hoseok's thoughts didn't leave him alone, wanting to know how Hyungwon looked as he danced. “You know if you ever have some free time you're welcome to come and dance at the studio with me.” Hoseok scribbled his number on a spare napkin he had, using a pen he had for emergencies. He handed it to Hyungwon, realizing he hadn't given his number out to anyone in years in terms of being interested in someone.

Hyungwon took the number, liking Hoseok enough to see where this could go. He decided to give the man a little bone. “Actually I have some time before my meetings, a good couple of hours. If you want I could come over and you could show off your cheoro for me. I'm free from eight to four.”

Hyungwon smiled as Hoseok grinned, excited that Hyungwon could spare time tomorrow to hang out. As Hyungwon added his number to his phone, Hoseok took a big bite of noodles. “Eight to four? Deal, just text me and I'll text you the address of the studio. Bring a water bottle and we have showers so you can bring an extra change of clothes if you want to.” Hyungwon grinned and decided to tease Hoseok, reaching out to lightly touch his hand with his long fingers. “Alright will do, I've got to get going now since it's getting pretty late. But I'll text you and I'll see you later.”

Hoseok's face gained color from the simple touch but he quickly replied to Hyungwon's casual goodbye. “I'll be waiting. Have a good night and sleep well.”

“You too.” Hyungwon threw away his trash, briefly glancing at Hoseok before quickly making it back to his apartment. Hyungwon was excited for the not-date date and arriving in his bedroom, he shed his clothes and jumped into bed, his mind still racing. He had to take deep breaths to calm himself down, enough to where the events of the day came back to him and the exhaustion finally claimed him. Sleep came within minutes, with his mind dreaming of dancing.


	5. Friday the 5th

With a brisk shower and slipping on a grey turtleneck and burgundy skinny jeans, Hyungwon made his way downstairs where Changkyun was messing around with the physics lab he created for his tutoring group. Changkyun had small containers of cars, playdoh, and wooden balls, to which Hyungwon hoped none of the playdoh landed on his carpet. Cleaning that would be hell. “Morning, want to help me make food?”

“Sure. What do you want me to do?” Hyungwon washed his hands, dipping his head into the fridge as Changkyun washed his hands. He took out a package of shrimp, one of crab, and an alive lobster with its claws held together by elastic. Hyungwon passed them off to Changkyun, “Cook these while I prepare the stuff for the kimbap and ramyeon. I had Seulgi pick up some drinks so you should be good. How many are we expecting today?”

Changkyun looked up from the pot he was filling with water. “Today is Physics so Hyosung, Mina, Sungyeol, Sungjong, and Yoochan. So five unless the word spread and I'm sure it will. Honestly I estimate ten people because I'm sure they expect a run down apartment and don't want to come.”

Hyungwon chuckled while he started cutting cucumber. “Wait until they get a look at this place. Hurry up with that seafood and put the rice to cook. I know you have an hour to get to school after the tutoring, would you like me to provide a ride?” He finished up the things for the kimbap, moving onto the ramyeon. He opened up the pantry to pull out four ramyeon, turning to set them down on his island counter. “How many ramyeon should I pull? I had Seulgi grab about twenty since I knew we could eat the ones we don't use.”

“Four sounds ok to me, maybe five. Here's the lobster and shrimp hyung, the crab is still cooking. I'll cook the ramyeon. What are your plans for today?” Hyungwon started assembling the kimbap, glancing over to the clock on the window. “People should be arriving soon so wash your hands and pull out some chopsticks. I actually have a date today before I have that dinner meeting with my two new captains and the weapons meeting.”

Changkyun gasped, hugging Hyungwon's side as he looked up with glittering eyes. “A date? With who? Did you ask Sojin or Hyunwoo for a background check”

Hyungwon winked. “It's that guy I was talking about the other day, the guy I ate ramyeon with. Yesterday night I finished looking over contracts and I took a walk, stopping to eat ramyeon. I forgot to tell you last time that he told me his name. He's a dancer from MoonGal Entertainment and his name is Hoseok. He didn't give me a last name but I'm sure to get it later. I'm going to his dance studio and work out a little bit.” Changkyun wiggled his eyebrows at Hyungwon, his body shaking.

“Gonna get a good workout huh? How sexy.” Hyungwon swatted Changkyun's shoulder. “Shut up and get everything ready. I'll have Sojin run a background check tomorrow after I get Hoseok's last name and maybe a good picture with him.” Hyungwon finished off the crab, letting it cool as he started cutting the lobster and shrimp kimbap. He poured hot water into the cups of ramyeon as Changkyun grabbed disposable chopsticks, paper plates, and napkins. They looked at each other as the doorbell rang, Hyungwon working on the last kimbap. “Go. Let them in and I'll lay everything out ok?”

Changkyun nodded and wiped his hands off, going to let his classmates up. Hyungwon grabbed a large rectangular plate, laying out the three kimbap perfectly. He sprinkled sesame seeds all over and then grabbed the ramyeon, moving them to the left of the kimbap. He pulled out two liters of soda and cups, moving them to the right of the plate. Hyungwon washed his hands again and wiped them off, hearing multiple voices. He didn't want them to see him until he was leaving so he escaped up the stairs, going into his room to pack a change of clothes and shower necessities.

He sat down to check his email, liking the sounds of people filling the apartment. Hyungwon knew that he should be going soon but first he should probably text Hoseok for the address of the studio. He sent off a brief text, putting his name in the text. It was funny how fast he got a text back, an address and a smiley face in it. Hyungwon sent back an ok emoji and got up from his bed. Checking how long it would him to get to the studio, he got moving. Bag slung over his shoulders, he sent a message to Sojin to arrange a car for the kids for when they were finished with the tutoring.

He went downstairs and peeked his head into the living room. Changkyun was surrounded by at least eight people with some in the kitchen, probably getting food. Hyungwon left the stairs, making his way to Changkyun. The chattering turned into silence as he put his hand on Changkyun's shoulder. “Hey I'm leaving now. I sent a message to Sojin to have a car ready for after you guys are done. Have fun at school ok?”

Hyungwon gave a smile to the three girls in front of Changkyun before moving to grab his jacket from the hall closet, slipping on his black boots. He yelled out to Changkyun, “If you need anything, just message Sojin. I won't be back until late tomorrow morning.” Changkyun yelled back to him, “Stay safe hyung!”

Hyungwon could hear the girls asking Changkyun who he was and he smirked, closing the door. He would probably see those girls around the apartment more often, with Changkyun 'tutoring' them. He got into his car and made his way to the studio, thinking of what he was going to discuss with his new captains. He had such a habit of taking in strays but he did take good care of them. There wasn't much parking but Hyungwon saw a great parking spot, he took it. Looking up, Hyungwon grimaced, the dancing studio wasn't much but at least it was standing. He took a picture of the studio and sent it to Sehun, giving him a task to see how well he could do without Sojin's help.

The inside looked better than the outside so Hyungwon gave it that. The lobby had one person, a young woman answering the phone. She glanced up at him and back down to her paperwork, leaving Hyungwon to go past here into the colorful hallway. He peeked into the first room, the door a bright yellow. There wasn't anyone inside so he moved away, pulling out his phone to text Hoseok. Hyungwon leaned against the wall and waited, peeking in the door across from him. No one was in there so he huffed and rolled his neck. He didn't have to wait long as he heard footsteps maybe ten minutes later. Hoseok waved, his sweat making his skin glisten. Hyungwon swallowed his saliva and waved back, smiling. “Hey there, you look like you've been dancing for hours.”

Hoseok shook his head, stretching. “Nah only about two hours. I've got an hour until my friend Gain comes in so we can work on the dance we're preparing for an upcoming festival. I would like it if you watched us and tell us what you think of the dance.”

“That's fine, I'll watch and just freestyle until you finish. Is that ok?”

Hoseok nodded and guided Hyungwon to the room they were gonna use, pointing to the changing room so Hyungwon could put on his dancing clothes. He quickly got changed into some shorts and a tank top, joining Hoseok in stretching exercises. He bent over, making sure to loosen himself up, knowing he'd be sore later if he didn't. He didn't notice Hoseok's gaze on him as his tank top slipped down, showing off his tiny pale shoulder. Hyungwon shook his body, feeling a little sweaty but otherwise excited. He usually got his exercise from running drills with his captains, showing them that he had what it took to run with them. Even though he didn't need to, he wanted to. Hyungwon turned to Hoseok, “Ready to sweat?”

“Ready. Follow after me.” Hoseok went and turned on the stereo, putting on something that had fast but deep heavy beats to it. Hoseok turned to the left and rolled his hip, Hyungwon following him. The next moves were fast but Hyungwon kept up, a little slowly but he kept up. His chest popped, his back bent as he rocked his hips back and forth. With his eyes closed, Hyungwon felt the rest of the beat and went his own way. Hoseok stopped dancing and took a big gulp of water, watching Hyungwon look fucking fantastic. Hyungwon danced as if he was music himself, his limbs just a way of delivering a visual representation. It was honestly arousing but Hoseok couldn't well jump the poor man without at least going on a couple of dates.

So taking a couple of deep breaths, Hoseok waited until the music ended and clapped. “You were amazing and you say you haven't danced in a while? I don't believe it.” Hoseok offered his water bottle and Hyungwon took it, thirsty enough to drink from it for several minutes. Hoseok licked his lips, wanting to drink from the water bottle now. Handing back the water bottle, Hyungwon let out a big breath. “Man it's been a while. I missed this feeling of freedom.”

“Well you sure showed that sense of freedom in that dance of yours. It was full of wonder.”

Hoseok and Hyungwon turned to the door, a woman shucking off her jacket as she closed the door. Hyungwon appreciated beautiful limbs wrapped in bright blue spandex, piercing eyes as she looked at the both of them. Hoseok grinned, motioning towards Hyungwon. “I know right. Gain noona meet Hyungwon, Hyungwon this is Gain. She's one of our best dancers as well as the studio's accountant. She deals with the studio's finances and keeps this place afloat.”

Gain threw her things on the table to the side, shrugging her shoulders. “I try. This place runs on donations and the occasional income the festivals bring in. But enough about dark subjects, Hoseok did you make the changes you wanted to the choreography? Because I need to know them now so we can teach them tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I also brought a camera so I can record it and you can use it to practice with it. Hyungwon can also watch us and tell us what he thinks of the choreo, since an outside opinion never hurts.” Gain hummed, moving her arms around. “Sounds good. Hyungwon-sshi you're welcome to join us if you think you can follow along after watching us. It would be interesting to see our dance done by someone who hasn't done it before.”

Hyungwon sat down, happy to take a breather. “I'll be happy to watch and join once I catch my breath. I can record for you if you want.” Hyungwon motioned for Hoseok to hand him the water bottle, taking smaller sips from it as Hoseok handed him the camera and went to fiddle with the music. He leaned against the mirror wall, crossing his legs as Gain discussed the changes with Hoseok.

Hyungwon took this time to blatantly check out Hoseok, briefly taking out his phone to see what time it was. Since it was only nine, he still had about six to seven hours to spend time with Hoseok. He lifted his shirt to wipe off his sweat, the sight of his stomach captivating Hoseok just for a millisecond. Enough time for Gain to notice and nudge Hoseok with that smug smile of hers. As Hyungwon focused on the camera, Gain leaned in to whisper in Hoseok's ear. “What's with that look you gave him? Like him that much?”

Hoseok shushed Gain, “Noona be quiet before he hears you. Of course I like him, look at him. He's my style: lean, smart, and he seems so feisty. I really want to get to know him more so don't embarrass me noona.”

Gain chuckled but didn't say anything else she just got into position while Hoseok went to start the music. Hyungwon got the camera ready as Gain motioned for him to get ready. The music started as Hoseok rushed to stand next to Gain, Hyungwon pushing the record button. Hoseok led Gain through the dance, showing the changes in the dance before they ran through the dance, Gain seamlessly adapting to the changes. Hyungwon liked the dance as Hoseok and Gain did some impressive footwork, something Hyungwon loved doing. He recorded the dance about five times, picking up the feeling for the moves. They were fast, precise, and the both of them looked extra hot doing the choreography,

Hyungwon gave Gain the phone and Hoseok the water bottle, rising from the floor. Hoseok wiped his face with a towel, his chest damp with sweat. He looked edible in Hyungwon's opinion but he said nothing as they looked over the video. Hoseok glanced up at Hyungwon, breathing in deeply. “So what did you think? I felt like it could be a little cleaner.”

Hyungwon waved his hands into the air, his face lighting up. “I really liked it. It was eye catching and upbeat, to the point where I wanted to dance along. I did think that the third set of spins could slow down a beat, making the body roll that comes after it look more stable. Other than that, fantastic.” Gain clapped her hands, snatching the towel from Hoseok. “Good I'm going to practice the moves on my own. I'll be in room ten ok? Have fun.” And like lightening, Gain had her things in her arms and was gone from the room.

Hyungwon and Hoseok shared a look, to which Hoseok shrugged. Hyungwon checked the time, surprised that it was almost noon. He rolled his shoulder, humming. “Shall we dance some more or do you have something else in mind? I don't have to leave until four.” He nibbled on the lip of the water bottle, sucking on it as Hoseok shook his body to loosen up. Hyungwon gave Hoseok the water bottle, since he looked like he could use more water. Hoseok glanced down at the bottle before closing his mouth around the lip, shrugging his shoulders. “How about another hour of dancing and then we hit the showers and go have some lunch?”

“Sounds good to me. You can choose the songs and I'll choose where we have lunch.” Hyungwon winked before putting his phone to the side. Hoseok bit his lip, eyeing Hyungwon before forcing himself to switch the music to his special playlist, the one he used when he wanted to impress someone. It was full of music that Hoseok could grind to and show off his muscles. Hyungwon shivered as the music entered his body, the sensual beats resonating with in him. He didn't even bother looking at Hoseok as his feet started moving, his hands running through his hair as he tilted his head back.

And for Hoseok (and his libido), it was hard holding back when Hyungwon spun to face him with his eyes closed, as he did a sinful body roll. But Hoseok wasn't going to let Hyungwon be the only one to do some seducing (even if he didn't know he was doing it.). Hoseok got right next to Hyungwon and started matching his moves as best he could. And Hyungwon smirked when their eyes met in the mirror, popping his chest and curled his finger at Hoseok, to come closer and show Hyungwon what he could do. To which Hoseok responded by pulling Hyungwon by his tank top and pushed their hips together, slightly manhandling Hyungwon closer to his body.

Hyungwon held back a gasp, wrapping his arms around Hoseok's neck instead. The air around them sizzled with tension as Hoseok rolled their hips together, Hyungwon let his forehead fall onto Hoseok's shoulder, his hands gripping Hoseok's hair as they swayed. Hoseok turned his head to make eye contact with Hyungwon, loving the way Hyungwon's eyes just looked at him before he leaned in. Hyungwon's lips were soft and full as they met Hoseok's, their bodies gently still dancing. For Hyungwon the kiss felt different than ones he had before, a bit more gentle and exciting. But it was a bit scary as well, he had only known Hoseok for a week. He wanted to know more of Hoseok but he had to tread carefully.

Sojin was going to give him an earful when he tells her.

Hyungwon pulled back when he needed oxygen, panting softly as Hoseok cradled his cheek. He took in a deep breath, releasing it against Hoseok's neck before pushing himself up on Hoseok's shoulders, their eyes still connected. It was quiet between them until Hoseok's stomach growled at them, causing Hyungwon to laugh. Hoseok loved the sparkle in Hyungwon's eyes as he teased Hoseok. “Does kissing always make you hungry? Because I'm sure that's something I gotta know if we keep kissing.”

Hoseok ignored the flush on his face and coughed, “I'm always hungry when I see a good meal in front of me.” This time Hyungwon flushed and leaned to peck Hoseok's lips, caressing his nose against Hoseok's. “Good to know. How about we go and shower and we can talk about this over some ramyeon.”

Hoseok hummed, not really wanting to let go of Hyungwon but Hyungwon slipped out of his arms before he knew it, gathering his things. Hoseok followed Hyungwon, picking up his things before leading Hyungwon towards the back of the studio. They stopped in front of a set of doors, one checkered and one striped. Hoseok pointed to the checkered door. “Here's the men's showers, inside and to the left are the lockers and the toilets while on the right are the showers. There are towels if you need one.”

Hyungwon nodded and went inside after Hoseok. The showers weren't anything to write about but they were decent. There was a row of lockers, followed by a couple stalls which he assumed were the toilets. The showers were just a line of shower heads on a wall, thin walls and curtains to give a semblance of privacy. Hyungwon stood in front of a locker, stripping his clothes off and shoving them into a bag he had brought for the dirty clothes.

Holding his shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, Hyungwon chose a shower and got in. He turned on the water, letting it get warmer when he suddenly realized what he was doing. Showering in a room with a guy he barely knew and if he was right, he had just given said man a good view at his body. Hyungwon sighed, rubbing his temples before glancing out the shower curtain. Hoseok was in the shower next to him, muscular back the only thing Hyungwon could see. It was a nice back but Hyungwon turned away, focusing on getting clean.

Hoseok rinsed his hair, trying to ignore how hard he was. But how could he when Hyungwon had stripped in front of him without a single care and Hoseok got to see that supple body. He felt a little guilty about seeing Hyungwon without his permission but hopefully that would change. Hoseok finished his shower first, got changed, and told Hyungwon he'd be waiting outside. Hyungwon hurried up, drying his hair as he waited for his body to air dry. Jeans, shirt, and shoes on, Hyungwon grinned at Hoseok. “Ready to eat some ramyeon? I'll drive.”

Hoseok followed Hyungwon out the building, still trying to calm himself down as he followed Hyungwon without really paying attention, his bag slung over his shoulder. Hyungwon glanced at Hoseok as he pulled out his car keys, smirking when he pushed the button to unlock the car and watched as Hoseok paused, astonished at the sight in front of him. Hoseok gasped, his hands coming to rest gently on the door frame. “Tell me this is your car.”

“It is, get in.” Hyungwon slipped into the driver's seat while Hoseok basically melted into the passenger's seat, his hands in between his legs as he felt up the car seat. “This feels amazing!” He turned to Hyungwon, eyebrow raised. “You know I never asked you what you did for a job, did I?”

Hyungwon pulled out of the parking space, shaking his head. “Nope. All I gave you was my name really. But that's because I don't really like talking about myself, I'm a little shy sometimes.” Hoseok gave him a look, “Shy huh? I don't believe that for a second. So talk about yourself then, I'll take no excuses.”

“I'm Chae Hyungwon, a freelance model. I've been modeling for a couple months now but before I was a model, I worked at a small time business. It was nothing big so I don't really remember the name of the business. I'm forgetful like that.” Hyungwon thought a half-truth was good enough. Hyungwon had worked at one of his father's small legit businesses, just enough to show that he could work a legit job before jumping straight into modeling. He shot a wink at Hoseok, “I also like candlelight dinners and walks along the beach. Is that enough for you?” Hoseok hummed, “For now. So you're a model? I should have guessed by how beautiful you are.”

“Oh my god have you seen yourself? A gorgeous man like yourself, well I'm surprised that you aren't surrounded by women or people trying to cast you.” Hyungwon made a right turn, arriving at one of his favorite restaurants. It was a more fancy restaurant, one that most people had to reserve in advance but for Hyungwon, the doors were always open, no matter what. Hyungwon stopped the car and fluttered his eyes at Hoseok, “Ready for some tasty food? They have such an impressive ramyeon selection it'll knock your socks off.”

Hoseok grinned. “Oh I am so ready but isn't this place a bit fancy? Are you sure you want to bring me here? We're not exactly dressed to impress.” Hyungwon waved him off, not even a bit worried at Hoseok's concerns. “I'm not here to impress anybody but you so if they want to judge, well let them. I don't need close minded people or their opinions to enjoy life.”

Hyungwon got out and waited for Hoseok to do the same before locking up his car. He ignored the people waiting at the door, walking straight up to the door. The door man there recognized his face, bowing before opening the door for him. Hyungwon vaguely realized that having this much influence was weird for a rookie model but he hoped Hoseok didn't notice as they were directed to Hyungwon's usual table, a corner booth with a view of the whole restaurant. The waiter left them with two menus, softly mentioning he would be back to take their orders. He smiled as Hoseok took in the sight, liking how cute he was as he read the menu.

“Oh my god they have a black truffle ramyeon, what the hell am I doing here?” Hoseok looked at Hyungwon with a pitiful face, pouting. “What am I suppose to order when I don't know what half of these ingredients are? Why is a restaurant this fancy even making ramyeon?”

Hyungwon took Hoseok's menu, pointing to the third ramyeon on the list. “Get this, it's delicious. And this restaurant is famous for turning basic food into something elegant and rich.” He watched Hoseok nod his head at Hyungwon's words, still drinking in the menu. Hyungwon noticed the waiter wait near them, waiting for Hyungwon to give him a signal so he could come up to the table. He had trained these waiters well, letting them know that some things could get them killed if they overheard. He rose two fingers in the air and the waiter nodded, walking away to attend to other customers. Twenty minutes would be enough to see what else Hoseok wanted to eat. “Do you see anything else you want? I'm going to get the shrimp and grits, very American but I'm a sucker for shrimp.”

“The menu is so diverse. I could get something American but then I could get some curry instead. I think I'll stick to the ramyeon unless you recommend something?” Hyungwon shook his head, “The portion sizes here are good so all I can say is that we order a whole chocolate cake to share and that's it.”

Hoseok's eyes widened, glancing back at the menu and then back to Hyungwon. “There's no cake on the menu.” Hyungwon smirked and leaned in, his chin propped up by his hand. “Of course not. It's a secret item on the menu for those who know how to order it. Don't worry, you'll see.”

Hyungwon leaned back as the waiter came back, hands clasped together behind his back. “Good evening gentlemen, I will be your waiter for today. May I start you off with any appetizers? We have a delicious spinach soup paired with small chunks of lobster.” Hoseok bit his lip, freaking out. This restaurant was out of his league and yet it was hot to see Hyungwon maneuver it like it was nothing. Hyungwon looked gorgeous against the dim amber lights and he wondered if Hyungwon was out of his league as well.

“No thank you we are ready to order. I'll have the shrimp and grits, with the salad and a glass of red wine. He will have the miso ramyeon with a glass of white, and yes I would like the bottles as well. I also want the Number 100, whole please.”

The waiter bowed, “Yes sir.” He left the pair, Hoseok impressed and Hyungwon amused. Hoseok tilted his head, just a bit confused. “How does he know what kind of wine you want if you don't specify?”

“These waiters trained to know what wine pairs with which dish. The shrimp and grits I ordered should be paired with a good wine that should cut through the heaviness of the food, your wine would do the same. So they have various wines that are light but robust enough to pair with the food, so it's more like a test for them to see which wine would be the best.”

Hoseok leaned back in his seat, “Wow I have no idea about wine since I don't drink often but I'll trust you on this. So I guess the Number 100 is the cake?”

“Indeed it is. Anyways now that ordering is out of the way, let's get down to business.”

“Business?” Hyungwon sat up, running his hand through his hair. He liked the way Hoseok's eyes felt on his, focusing on the gentle curve of his neck. He let his fingers drop to the table, walking two fingers across the table, letting them caress the back of Hoseok's hand. “This kind of business.”

“Oh.”

Hyungwon hummed, his thumb rubbing Hoseok's. “I think that kiss spoke for itself but if not let me make things clear. I like you and I'm interested in seeing where this goes. Am I wrong or did you feel the chemistry between us?” Hoseok took a deep breath and nodded, intertwining their hands together while his other hand gripped his knee. This was only the third time he hung out with Hyungwon and it didn't even feel like they were going fast at all, it felt natural and exciting. “I did and I want to see where it goes to.”

Sighing in relief, Hyungwon smiled. “Then let's take this slow and easy?” Hoseok grinned, “Yeah sounds good to me. So what do you want to know?”

“Anything really. I just want to learn more about you.”

Hoseok licked his lips as he thought about what to say. “Well you already know where I work but here I go. I'm Shin Hoseok, I'm twenty-seven and I love to dance and exercise. My favorite color is black and my dream one day is to own a recording studio and make my own music that others can enjoy. But for now I'll just write songs until I have enough money to produce them.”

Hyungwon admired Hoseok for having a clear dream and for being passionate enough to still hold onto it. “I would love to listen to your songs sometime. It's nice to see you have a dream, a goal to work towards.” Hyungwon sighed, putting his head on his hands. “All I wanted in life was to have a good place to live and just relax. But things happened and now I'm a model, which don't get me wrong. It's a good job, an exciting one but sometimes I just want to stay at home and just do nothing but watch movies and cuddle with someone.”

“I know how you feel. Ever since college, I've been on the fast lane. I got a job, which I love, but I wish I had taken time to slow down and maybe even travel. But taking a vacation doesn't pay the bills or put food on the table.”

They shared a look, both smiling softly. Hyungwon let his other hand rest on the table, hoping Hoseok would take it. He saw Hoseok's eyes briefly dart down to his hand and Hyungwon watched as Hoseok pulled his other hand from under the table, shyly putting his hand on top on Hyungwon's. From there the conversation flowed. Hyungwon got know how emotional and protective Hoseok was towards his friends while Hoseok learned how intelligent Hyungwon was, along with how much he loved his baby brother. For a lack of better words, they clicked.

Eventually their food came and Hyungwon's mouth salivated at the sight of the beautifully pink shrimp on his plate. He thanked the waiter and observed him as he uncorked the bottles of wine, decanting them slowly and handing them to the couple. Hyungwon took a deep breath of the red wine, vaguely peering at the name on the bottle before delicately sipping it. Hoseok followed in Hyungwon's steps, swirling his before tasting. He nodded, enjoying the taste as Hyungwon motioned for the waiter to leave.

Hoseok placed his wine back on the table as he paid attention to his ramyeon, his eyes blinking rapidly. “This is twice as big as the kind I get at my favorite place. It smells amazing.” The ramyeon noodles filled the bowl almost to the top, the various toppings just looking absolutely delicious. Hoseok took the chopsticks provided and broke them, head dipping down so he could take a bite. The savory noodles had a good chewy texture while the beef melted into his mouth. This ramyeon was going to ruin him form months. He groaned, taking a bigger bite. “Soooo good. How's yours?”

Hyungwon had a shrimp hanging out of his mouth, his fingers holding it up but barely. Hoseok guffawed, making Hyungwon finish his bite of shrimp, wiggling his eyebrows at Hoseok. “So I'll take that as good.”

They entered a comfortable silence as they dug into their food, either one occasionally breaking the silence. Hyungwon saw that Hoseok was a fast eater, half of his bowl was empty meanwhile Hyungwon was on his second shrimp out of five.

“I like the sound of others eating around me. It makes me feels satisfied.”

Hyungwon furrowed his brows, pondering the statement. It was a little weird since Hyungwon usually didn't pay attention too much to sound while eating, preferring to focus on his food. But Hyungwon wasn't one to judge, well about food. “Well that's interesting. Am I loud enough that you can hear me?”

Hoseok shook his head, “No you're a bit quiet but I really like that you don't monitor how much you have to eat. I know that some models really starve themselves.”

Hyungwon ate a couple spoonfuls of grits, shaking his head. “I love to eat and I hate that others try and tell me what I can and can't eat. I reject any offers that want me to lose weight because I'm already very skinny but to lose more? I don't want to see my ribs in the shower. Do you try and buff up with any protein?”

“Nah I just eat and work out hardcore. I tried the protein phase in college but it tasted bad and exercising was just something that gave me focus. Dancing really tones the body as well.” Hoseok gathered bit of noodles, glancing down at it before looking at Hyungwon. “Do you want a bite?”

Hyungwon set down his fork and knife, leaning over. He opened his mouth, his eyes connecting with Hoseok's as he raised his chopsticks, prodding his food into Hyungwon's mouth. The whole thing felt sensual and intimate as Hyungwon slurped up the noodles, Hoseok wiping a drop of broth with his thumb before licking his thumb. Hyungwon raised his eyebrow, a shy smile appearing on his face. “Any more?” He motioned to his face, giggling when Hoseok shook his head. “Good.”

Hyungwon watched as Hoseok gulped down the last of his noodles, even tilting his bowl back to drink at the savory broth. Hoseok leaned back in his seat, rubbing his tummy as he groaned. “I'm so full but it was so good.” He wiped his lips off with a napkin, glancing down at Hyungwon's plate, which had two shrimp left and a couple spoonfuls of grits left. He pointed to Hyungwon's salad, which was left untouched. “Are you going to eat that?”

“Yeah I want the refreshing salad to be the last thing I taste before we dig into the chocolate cake.” Hoseok moaned, “I forgot we were getting cake. I don't know if I have any space for it.”

Hyungwon chuckled. “It's fine I'm getting pretty full too. I'll have them wrap it to go and you can share it with your friends. I can guarantee that they're going to love it.” Hyungwon took a peek at his phone, pouting when he saw that it was nearing four. He was going to have to leave soon. So he caught the waiter's attention, barely taking his eyes off Hoseok. “We'll have to take the cake to go please. We have other engagements to attend soon.”

“Of course sir, here is your check sir.” Without hesitating, Hyungwon pulled out his credit card and slipped it towards the waiter, who bowed and left. Hyungwon rubbed the back of his head, sighing. “It's almost four and I have meetings to attend soon. Are you done with the dance studio? Do you want me to drop you off at home?”

Hoseok felt disappointed that Hyungwon had to leave soon but he had to meet up with his friend Kihyun so he could help him memorize for an exam. “You can drop me off at my apartment since I'm meeting my friend there so I can help him study. I live at the S apartments a couple blocks away.”

Hyungwon hummed, knowing the apartments Hoseok was talking about. Of course he knew the apartments, his gang owned them. The S apartments were suppose to be for medium to low income families or single tenants, something that Hyungwon had built as way to help others. They were decent for the price and Hyungwon wondered if Hoseok was barely making rent or if he was doing well. “I know them, I heard they were good apartments.”

“They are!” Hoseok straightened up, his hands waving in the air. “They're clean, well taken care of, and the rent is cheap enough for a college student to try and venture out on their own. I like my apartment and I have no complaints except for the brat on the floor above me who can't shut the fuck up at three in the morning when I'm trying to sleep.”

The waiter came back, handing Hyungwon his card and receipt while placed the cake box on the table. Hyungwon added a thirty percent tip and placed his card away in his wallet. “Let me finish these last bites and we'll get a move on.” Hyungwon ate the grits, savoring the last shrimp before starting on his salad. “So tell me about your friends.”

Hoseok's eyes grew bright, a fond smile on his face. “When I was in college I joined a dance team, that's when I met Kihyun. Kihyun was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life, stuck between photography and being a lawyer. Then his brother got into trouble with the police and he couldn't find a lawyer that would take his case. So Kihyun looked up a lot of laws and eventually he proved his brother was innocent, which helped solidify in his mind what he should become.” Hyungwon liked the sound of Kihyun's determination, knowing he would have done the same if Changkyun got in trouble.

“Then I met Minhyuk when I was the naked model for an art class,. He offered me hot chocolate and made sure nobody took any pictures of me. And lastly I met Jooheon through Minhyuk, while we were eating in the cafeteria. Those three are my family and I couldn't live without them. How about you? Your friends?”

Hyungwon swallowed a soggy bite of lettuce, taking another bite immediately. “I don't have many friends from the lack of time from being a model.” He hated lying but it wasn't like he could talk about each of his captains and soldiers. “My baby brother Changkyun is my best friend but as for people that I met, Sojin and Hyunwoo are my friends. I met Sojin through my father's friends and Hyunwoo through an athletic event that I modeled for.” Hyungwon couldn't swallow the small seed of guilt in his throat. Even though he had met Sojin through his father's advisor and Hyunwoo at an 'athletic event' (namely a contracted hit), he didn't like spinning the truth.

He pushed the remains of his salad away, rolling his neck. “Other than I have acquaintances, such as some of the models I work with. You ready to go?” Hoseok shrugged his shoulders, “Not really, I would like to stay and chat some more but we both have things to do. But I guess we must.”

Hyungwon smiled, making sure he had everything before rising from his seat. “We can talk in the car while I drop you off at your apartment. Don't forget the cake.”

They left the restaurant pretty quickly as Hyungwon unlocked the car, opening the door for Hoseok. He winked as Hoseok held the cake to his chest as he got settled in. Shutting the door, Hyungwon swiftly moved to the driver's side. It was almost four but Hyungwon had two hours until his dinner with his new captains, so he took his time. “So what do you have going on later?”

“I'm going to help Kihyun study for one of his exams. It's going to be really boring but he's really stressed out. He's close to finishing up law school and eventually he'll take the bar exam. He's hoping to become a lawyer by year's end.”

Hyungwon bobbed his head, smoothly navigating to Hoseok's apartment. “Does he know what he wants to do after he becomes a lawyer? There's a lot of good jobs he could do.”

Hoseok watched as Hyungwon pulled in to the apartment complex, slightly embarrassed about where he lived. But Hyungwon didn't seem disgusted as he pulled up, only interested to see which apartment Hoseok lived in. “He wanted to help those who don't have the money to do so which is a nice sentiment but being nice doesn't pay the bills. He said he might do some freelance photography to make some cash until he finds out what he's gonna do.” Being nice didn't pay the bills indeed, but being smart and intelligent did.

Something in Hyungwon's gut told him that this Kihyun might be useful to him, so he made a mental note to have Sojin look into him. He parked the car in the direction Hoseok pointed to, stretching his back as he turned off the car. “Well if I saw his portfolio, I'd be happy to recommend him to a couple models I know who need some photos done. I could employ him myself, I always need pictures done.”

Hoseok grinned, putting his hand on Hyungwon's shoulder. “That would be amazing but I'll have to ask Kihyun first. He's a bit stubborn and wanted to make it in life by himself since his parents didn't want support him unless he was going to become a lawyer or a doctor. You know the usually stereotype. But I think that this would be a good opportunity for him to make connections.”

“Just let me know ok? But you better get inside before that cake gets too warm.” Hyungwon bit his lip, glancing down at Hoseok's hand, the one on his shoulder. He took a chance and leaned forward, caressing Hoseok's thigh. “I'll be busy Saturday but I'm free Sunday if you want to hang out or something?”

Hoseok couldn't help but put a hand over Hyungwon's, swallowing at how warm his hand was. “Sunday sounds good. Um..” Hyungwon leaned in, his eyes glittering. “We could catch some lunch and maybe go see a movie. Or we could go dancing.”

“Dancing and a dinner sounds good. Text me when you get inside ok?” Hoseok nodded and Hyungwon leaned in with Hoseok meeting half way for a simple kiss. Hoseok licked his lips when Hyungwon pulled away, coughing as Hyungwon chuckled. Hoseok pointed to his apartment, clicking his seatbelt off. “I'll be going now, tell me how your meetings go.”

“Alright.” Hoseok opened the door, making sure the cake was still right-side up, before patting his pockets to make sure he had everything. Hyungwon eyed Hoseok's back as he walked away, turning on the car as Hoseok opened his apartment. Hoseok turned to wave at him and Hyungwon giggled, waving back. Hyungwon pulled out his Bluetooth headset out of his center console, putting it into his ear. He pulled out of the parking space, dialing Sojin on his headset.

“Hello?”

Hyungwon rolled his neck, weaving in and around traffic. “Is everything ready for the dinner? I know Hyunwoo is busy with his exercising but the time we finish with the dinner, it'll be time for the briefing on the weapons drop. I want all my captains there and make sure that Sunhwa, Narsha, and Seokjin are on standby. I'm on my way to the restaurant right now but it'll be another hour before I get there. Why did you choose a restaurant so far?”

Hyungwon could hear Sojin roll her eyes as she huffed. “You chose it you idiot because of how good it is. Rose and Wendy are already here with me, drinking wine as they get to know each other. But everything is ready for tonight. We're meeting at that korean barbecue place on the third floor and I got a confirmation from everyone that they're coming tonight. Be careful I heard it's suppose to rain on the way here.”

“I'm always careful.” Hyungwon grimaced at the small droplets on his windshield. “But Sojin I need you to do a run of background checks for me. Do a search for the Queen Dance Studio, and look up a Hoseok. I need his information and dig up anything you can on his friends as well.”

“Who is he?” Hyungwon could hear Sojin opening her laptop, typing away. “You know how I feel about you meeting random strangers without me and Hyunwoo with you”

“I know but I couldn't help it. Anyways he's cute and I want to know if he's harmless enough to date. I want to know everything about Hoseok and his friends Kihyun, Jooheon, and Minhyuk. I also want to know if Hoseok's friend Kihyun has any companies looking to hire him. Hoseok says he's on his way to becoming a lawyer and I want to know if I can have him.”

“Alright I'll have the information by Wednesday. I need a bit of time since I have things to do.” Hyungwon saw the restaurant in sight, “Alright I'm here. I'm hanging up.”

Hyungwon saw Sojin's car and slid into the parking space next to it. He peeked into his mirror, brushing his hair from his forehead before climbing out. The Sunshine Cafe was one of his favorite restaurants, its theme based on the weather. There was the main dining room for the public but you could rent four different rooms out to private parties. Hyungwon preferred the Cloud room, but the Sun, Rain, and Rainbow rooms were all good. The Cloud room was colored in deep grays and baby blues, the seats comfortable as can be.

Hyungwon went in, moving past the staff to get to the silver door that was the entrance to the Cloud room. Glancing inside Hyungwon saw Sojin with two very lovely ladies, all three sipping a generous portion of wine. “Am I late or can I get some wine as well?”

Sojin slid a glass of wine towards him as the girls looked at each other. Hyungwon sat down and took a gulp of his wine, moaning at how sweet it was. He licked his lips before turning his attention to the females in front of him. “I'm Chae Hyungwon, Leader of the X Clan. I've received all your information from Sojin about joining my gang but I want to hear it from each of you personally.”

The female to his left coughed, setting down her wine to speak first. Hyungwon thought she was cute, definitely cute enough to hide any aggression if she had any.

“I'm Park Chaeyoung, I'm twenty-three years and I graduated from a beautician school and I am certified in doing nails. I was having problems with my mother over my sexuality because she had guys she wanted me to date and I already had a girlfriend. Things went sour went I told my parents I was going to move out with my girlfriend and start a nail salon. That mixed along with people being assaulted in our neighborhood, well they won't let me out of their sight for very long.”

Hyungwon rubbed his temples, parents were the bane of his existence when it came to his gang. They were nosy, annoying, and most of all, hard to please. “So you need what exactly? A place to stay? A job?”

Chaeyoung shook her head. “The assaults are getting close to home so I want them to stop. I don't have money to hire you guys but I heard rumors that your mafia treats people really well. So I want to join so I can have the resources to get rid of the problem and make money as I do.”

Hyungwon leaned back and sipped his wine. He nodded and turned to the other female, “Your turn.”

“Son Seungwan but I like to be called Wendy. My mom decided that dad was a deadbeat and is trying to divorce them. She's also suing him for the house and the car. They blatantly said they didn't want me around so I'm about to be homeless in about two weeks. I heard the same rumors that Chaeyoung did, so I dug around. I got nothing to lose so here I am.”

Nothing to lose huh? Hyungwon looked at the scene in front of him. One girl with determination to fix her neighborhood and show her parents up and the other needed a future. Both problems he could fix and easily. But did he want them? Did he need them? Technically he didn't need them but two more women captains would make it even And he did have two teams worth of soldiers ready at his disposal. Hyungwon leaned forward, pushing his wine away.

“Alright let me break it down for you both. I'll take you in but you must know this. I am everything to you. You must protect me, listen to me, obey me, and over everything else, be loyal to me. You will earn your keep and do it well. I will provide with a place to live and somewhere to work, as well as have you trained for combat. Once I take you in, you cannot leave without a good reason. I'm not a cruel leader but I expect you to communicate well with me. Do you still want in knowing you'll be dealing with the seedy underground that would probably question and test your morals?”

When both girls nodded after a moment to let them think, Hyungwon smirked. “Good. Chaeyoung I'm going to set you up your own nail salon. You'll run it, choose the people you'll work with, and do whatever you want with it. I'll have Sojin give you a list of apartments to live it, for the both of you, and you can choose anything but you will pay for it once you get financially stable. Which will be soon. Wendy I'm going to have Ailee and Hyuna train you, see what you can pick up quickly and what interests you. Either way you'll have a job and a place to live, and once you are ready to go out and do your first job, Sojin will pay you.”

Sojin nodded and Hyungwon clapped his hands. “Any questions? If not let's eat and get to know each other.”

–

Hyungwon waited until Sojin had both girls in the back of her car, waiting for her to come to his car to have a little chat. He liked Chaeyoung and Wendy and he hoped that they would work out fine. But even if they didn't, they could bring him in revenue legally anyways. Hyungwon heard heels clacking on concrete and saw Sojin walking his way. She crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow, “So what did you think about them? I think Wendy will be useful as a bodyguard or maybe she could be one of our top assassins. Chaeyoung could be a good marksmen. We'll have to see.”

“Indeed. Where are the girls living now?”

“Both with their families until they choose an apartment. Tonight we can give Ailee and Hyuna Wendy's contact information and who do you want training Chaeyoung? I would suggest J. Hope.” Hyungwon leaned against his car as Sojin rolled her neck. “I'll take it into consideration. Now take them home and I'll see you for the weapons planning tonight. I'm going to check up on Changkyun for a little bit and take a break. Even if it's just for an hour.”

“Alright text me if something goes wrong.” Sojin left Hyungwon, her phone bright against her ear as she got into her car. Hyungwon slipped into his car, activating the Bluetooth in his ear. He dialed Changkyun as he sped away in his car, hoping to cut the hour long drive in half. It was getting pretty dark and the long drive helped Hyungwon think about Hoseok. It was a bit sugar daddy of him but once Sojin gave him the go ahead, Hyungwon was going to date the fuck out of Hoseok and subtly get him everything needed and wanted.

Hyungwon passed a car, swiftly maneuvering around a truck that was barely going the speed limit. Hopefully Hoseok wasn't into anything he couldn't work with. The highway was empty, even though it was usually the time of day were people went out and partied. Which meant Hyungwon was able to shave fifteen minutes off his travels, parking his car in his usual parking space. It was almost ten as Hyungwon checked his phone while going up the elevator. He entered the apartment and heard laughter in the living room.

“Changkyun-ah! I'm home.” For an hour but Hyungwon didn't bother mentioning that. He shucked off his shoes and moved into the living room where Changkyun and Chanmi were talking. “Evening Chanmi, how are you?” Chanmi giggled, brushing her hair back from her face. “I'm good Hyungwon oppa, we're just doing some homework. But I heard you were popular this morning.”

Changkyun groaned from his position on the floor, rolling around. “You wouldn't believe how many of the girls you enchanted this morning. They thought you were the hottest thing ever and couldn't believe you were my brother. They loved your cooking and they wanted all the study sessions to be here from now on, which I told them no. I don't need them around here more than necessary. Aren't you suppose to be in a meeting?”

Changkyun gave Hyungwon a look, which he brushed off. “In an hour but I wanted to check in and see how you were doing. Need anything before I plop down on that couch?” Changkyun and Chanmi shook their heads so Hyungwon sat down on the loveseat next to the couch Chanmi was on. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and leaned back. “So besides the gaggle of girls asking about me, how was your day?”

“It was ok, I had the kimbap leftovers for lunch and I got a quiz back. Perfect score plus the bonus question. Chanmi over here had a more exciting day, she got hit on by a biochem junior. Hella ugly and hella creepy.” Chanmi hid her face in her hands as Changkyun laughed at her. “And he even offered to show her his lint collection.”

Hyungwon busted out into laughter, smacking his knee as he snorted. “A lint collection is so lame but out of ten, how ugly was he?”

Chanmi fake sobbed, “He was at least a seven. He had a unibrow and a face full of ugly facial hair. He was a nightmare to look at, especially when this college has such hot men to look at, like Changkyun. He's literally the hottie of the Physics department, like the poster child. And the fact he's got amazing grades and a stellar GPA, he's what every mom wants in a son in law.”

Changkyun got on his knees, posing as Chanmi described him. He ran his hand through his hair and winked at Chanmi as Hyungwon shook his head, “Poster boy indeed. At least with that brain he has a smart future in front of him.” Hyungwon gave Changkyun a look, making Changkyun hold his laughter. Hyungwon's eyes landed on the clock opposite from him and frowned, not liking he had thirty minutes left until he had to leave. Changkyun and Chanmi got back to their homework and Hyungwon closed his eyes, trying to quell the sudden headache he had when his phone buzzed. He checked his phone and smiled when he saw Hoseok's name.

 **Hoseok** :  
Hey I totally forgot to text you  
How are your meetings?

 **Hyungwon** :  
It's cool, doing well  
Got half an hour till the next one and then  
I'm free

 **Hoseok** :  
Sounds nice, I'm still stuck with Kihyun  
He's freaking out even more than usually

 **Hyungwon** :  
Sucks, why don't you guys take a break?  
Order some food?

 **Hoseok** :  
We're eating right now  
Chicken

 **Hyungwon** :  
Sounds tasty  
Did you tell him about my offer?

 **Hoseok:**  
Yeah said he's think about it  
I think he'll go for it, he's a little short on rent.

 **Hyungwon** :  
Go ahead and give him my number  
How much does he pay for rent?

 **Hoseok** :  
He lives in the unit across from me so  
about 460,000 won?

 **Hyungwon** :  
That's pretty cheap for an apartment  
And he's low on rent?

 **Hoseok** :  
He's been buying camera equipment so he can freelance  
That stuff don't come cheap

 **Hyungwon** :  
True  
Changkyun buys such expensive recording equipment  
like he's probably dropped a grand to make raps

 **Hoseok** :  
Ouch do you know much ramyeon I could eat with that?  
Like at least hundred

 **Hyungwon** :  
I'm sure you could eat more than that

Checking the clock, Hyungwon saw that it was nine fifty and he knew he had to go.

 **Hyungwon** :  
I gotta go, ttyl?

 **Hoseok** :  
Yeah be safe :)

Hyungwon yawned, wiping his eyes of the tears before rising from the loveseat. “I gotta go guys, duty calls. Chanmi you're welcome to stay, the couch is a pullout but if not, Changkyun make sure she gets home safe. Sojin will be busy as will Sehun so you'll have to call a normal driver.” Changkyun nodded. “Yes hyung. You be safe too.”

Hyungwon waved before making his way to the door, pulling on a pair of sneakers instead of the boots he had been wearing. Surprisingly he was still wearing his Bluetooth (it was that comfortable in his ear) and he dialed Hyunwoo's number. Pulling away from the apartment complex, Hyunwoo finally picked up.

“Are you there yet?”

Hyunwoo coughed, “Yes I just got here myself. Everyone is here but you. Are you bringing Changkyun? It would be a good learning lesson.” Hyungwon scrunched up his nose. “He's currently working on homework with his friend, there's no rush yet. Not until he graduates.”

“Alright, Sojin is ordering for everyone and is waiting until you come to pull out any schematics.”

“Make sure she orders the good soju. Last time she ordered that nasty shit and Jungkook almost went home naked from how wasted he was. We can't do that this time, even with the temptation of Seokjin there.”

“Don't worry, Sehun took over the drink orders. I'm still surprised that boy knows how to drink.”

Hyungwon snorted, “I'm pretty sure Jongin and Taemin got him wasted one night and had a threesome. I don't know what they're doing but Sehun seems ok, so I'm not worried.” Hyungwon saw the barbecue place and parked nearby, making sure he was good as he walked away. “I'm here now so I'm hanging up.”

Hyungwon ended the call, turning off his Bluetooth and slipped it into his pocket. As he reached the third floor, he saw that everyone was there. His six captains were sitting down, chatting amongst themselves as Sunhwa and Narsha stood back, drinking. Seokjin was chatting with Sehun and Sojin, not noticing Jungkook's longing stares. Hyunwoo turned to greet Hyungwon, his eye smile filling out his face. “Hyungwon-ah, you're almost late. Another two minutes and I was going to send out the cavalry.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes, scoffing. “Please they would take it so seriously it's not even funny. Food ordered?”

Hyunwoo nodded and Hyungwon sighed. “Good.” He tilted his head upwards so he could speak louder. “Everyone let's sit down and get to business.” And like that, the small talk ended and everyone was sitting down, their eyes all on Hyungwon. Jungkook turned to Sojin who pulled out a briefcase, opening it so Jungkook could take out some papers. Hyungwon took the papers and licked his lips.

“Alright this is a small meeting for the drop that's happening tomorrow. Just to recap, we are buying weapons from the Turtle clan, worth a good couple hundred grand. Taehyung and Jungkook will be the lead on this while Hyuna will be in the background, as support. Jungkook will be with the police, leading the police away from the docks and instead raiding the Falcon clan's warehouses. This will take approximately three to six hours as the police dogs pick up the scent of cocaine and bust the Falcon gang. This gives us about a four hour window to get the weapons which is plenty of time.”

“So Jungkook will be redirecting the police while Taehyung gets the weapons with Hyuna in the shadows waiting. Ailee will be on standby in anything goes wrong. Jungkook what are the leads on the unknown rival clan looking to take our weapons?” Jungkook raised one shoulder, sighing. “The police don't have anything on them, only rumors that there might be a new gun war on the horizon.”

“Sunhwa? Narsha?” Sunhwa brushed her hair off her shoulder as she prepared herself to speak. “Right now the most popular gun is the Glock 22. It's a simple gun that's easy to obtain and circulate. But I did have a couple of men come asking for bigger and worse guns. I gave them numbers that made them wince but I think they'll come back with that kind of scratch and more. But as for the drop tomorrow, there shouldn't be any trouble unless the Turtle clan starts it.”

Narsha waited until Sunhwa finished before picking up from when she left off. “I've had a couple of guys, grunts of course, come asking for names and pictures of each gang in Seoul. Of course I'm partially bias towards you so I gave them big numbers as well, especially when you're the hottest shit in Seoul right now. None have given me a name except for one. He was kind of ugly but not bad if you squint one eye shut. He called himself Dragon. I assume he's their leader or someone important since I only saw him once, months ago.”

Hyungwon hummed, not liking what he was hearing. “So no trouble tomorrow but someone's looking for it, someone who is lacking in funds but who knows where to get it. Keep me posted on how much they're willing to pay for information and weapons. As for the rest of you, I want you on call tomorrow if something does go wrong. Be armed and ready for anything. Seokjin if you need anything, have Sojin get it for you and Jungkook once you're finished with your shift at the police, I want you guarding Seokjin until Sunday. Any questions?”

When nobody said anything Hyungwon clapped his hands and suddenly four servers came out of nowhere, carrying all the food they had ordered. The meat was placed on the grill, seconds away from being perfect while the veggies were crisp and they were plenty of side dishes. Four 2 Liter bottles of coke were set down next to the meat and two bottles of soju followed them. “Wonderful, let's get started.”

Hyungwon pulled out his phone as everyone around him started cooking, Hyunwoo cooking kimchi, onions, and garlic right next to him. He messaged Changkyun's bodyguard, checking on Changkyun and Chanmi before accepting a glass of coke from Ailee. Hyungwon set down his phone as Hyunwoo tasted all the food, making sure nothing was poisoned before they all dug in. Hyungwon watched as Taehyung poured a double shot into Jungkook's glass, chanting for Jungkook to chug it.

It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is to celebrate my birthday (Dec. 24th), Xmas (Dec. 25th), and the new year! I hope you guys enjoy this and I wish for your new year to start off with some positive vibes <3


	6. Saturday the 6th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted for Wonho's BDay and Alligator's 4th win!! I had this typed up but I took my time editing it since it felt a bit weird at places. 
> 
> I've made a website to house all my fics as an easier way of reading. [Here](https://lovelystorytime.wordpress.com/) and I'll be posting there at least a week before I post on here or Asianfanfics.
> 
> Enjoy~!

Unlike Hyungwon, who needed about four cups of coffee in the morning to even resemble a human, Changkyun was more of a morning person. He usually chugged away his sleepiness with either coffee or red bull, it just depended on how he felt that morning. Usually on Saturdays and Sundays Changkyun slept in, taking all the stress he accumulated throughout the week and drooled it away on his pillow. However this Saturday he had to wake up early to get his hair colored, leaving him with no time to grab breakfast, so he snagged a red bull out the refrigerator before slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he locked the apartment door. And even though the sunshine and brisk air felt amazing on his skin, he was thankful that Hyunwoo was giving him a ride to the stylist. Hyungwon didn't want him walking anywhere these days so as he placed his backpack at his feet, he thanked Hyunwoo for the ride. 

Hyunwoo hummed, “Oh it's nothing. I have to pick up a couple of groceries anyways. I'm almost out of rice and red pepper paste since Namjoon decided to try making spicy kimchi rice stir fry.” Changkyun chuckled, rolling his shoulders as he checked his Twitter. “You know I'm surprised Namjoon hyung just hasn't given up on cooking and settled down with someone who can help with domestic stuff like that. I can sorta cook but Hyungwon's the bread winner in this family.” 

Parking his car, Hyunwoo nodded. “He is indeed. Now hurry up and get your hair done. I'll be waiting for you afterwards.” Hyunwoo patted Changkyun's head, ruffling his hair, “Don't let Taeyeon bully you into an outrageous hair color, Hyungwon will kill you for drawing too much attention without him joining in on the chaos.”

“Don't I know it. The last time Taeyeon got in trouble, it was because she made Kyuhyun's hair a bright ass purple for losing that bet.” Changkyun got out of the car, leaning through the window to keep talking to Hyunwoo. “Anyways when you come pick me up from my study group we can talk about making that training schedule.” 

“Alright I'll see you then.” Hyunwoo drove off, leaving a small cloud of dust behind. Now Changkyun knew he looked great with his natural black hair, especially when it was styled to show off his forehead but he wanted a change, something to make him look the part of an underground rapper. He wanted to look mysterious but slightly approachable and he hoped that the brown hair would do that. He already had an image in his mind of how he wanted his hair and hopefully Taeyeon could deliver. Changkyun saw Taeyeon sashay towards him. She gave him a hug, ushering him into a chair, “Channie darling how are you? I heard from Hyungwon you needed your hair done.”

She wrapped an apron around him, patting his head as he responded. “I'm good noona, a little sleepy. How are you?” Taeyeon grinned, giving him a box of grape juice, his usual when he came to get his hair colored. She motioned for her assistant to bring her a glass of wine to drink while doing Changkyun's hair. “I'm good Channie, I've been busy since February is next month and girls want their hair done so it has time to grow out and fill nicely. For your hair, do you have anything in mind because I would love to turn your hair into a ash gray.” 

“Although ash gray hair would look fabulous on me, I decided this cut in a medium brown, look be sexy.” He handed his phone over to Taeyeon, who inspected the photo. “I saw this haircut on a classmate and I thought it was really cool. So what do you think?” The photo Changkyun showed Taeyeon was of a medium brown hair, layered with blonde highlights. 

Taeyeon licked her lips, liking how the hair parted just enough to have bangs slightly cover the eyes. For Changkyun, the hair would look fantastic on him, especially if she did it. She motioned for assistant to come closer, pointing out the numbers she needed as her hand lightly touched Changkyun's hair. “Love it. Marissa is going to get the colors and tools I need.” She sipped her wine as Changkyun got comfy into the chair. “So what are you doing for the rest of the day? I know Hyungwon is super busy..” Changkyun watched as Marissa came back with a couple bottles of product, setting them down on the table next to Changkyun. He nodded her head at her, smiling when she blushed and left without saying a word. 

“I have a study group around nine but they know I might be late. Then lunch with Hyungwon hyung, and then my afternoon is full of writing for my performance tonight.” Taeyeon started mixing her chemicals together as Changkyun scrolled around Twitter, before moving onto a game he liked to play. He could feel Taeyeon's hands in his hair so he tried to sit as still as possible while she transformed his hair. “Are you ready to show off your rapping skills? I know you've done small shows and battles but this is pretty big right?”

“Yeah it's going to be at an underground club and every known underground rapper is supposed to show up. I'm not prepared to see some of my favorite soundcloud artists but like oh my god spit those curses into my face. At the same time I'm ready to perform. I have plenty of songs to drop but I want to see how I'm received.” 

“Oh you'll do fine, you have so much potential in and out of the stage. Seriously hearing you rap is so sexy, you're going to attract everyone's attention and you'll blow up just like your brother and his modeling.”

Changkyun laughed as Taeyeon wiggled her eyebrows at him, “Thanks noona. I'll do my best.” Within the hour Changkyun was lounging around while his head was covered with foil, sipping on his juice as Taeyeon moved around her boutique to help her stylists. The music and warm ambiance was making Changkyun sleepy, his head lulling to the left as he dozed off. He was close to drooling when Taeyeon came back to color his hair. 

She took a picture, sending it to Hyungwon before jerking his head upright, checking how his hair took the product. Ignoring his startled face, Taeyeon hummed before moving on. “Your hair looks good, let's put some color in it.” She covered his head with the permanent hair color, Changkyun sipping his juice, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleep there. With a rinse and a blow dry, Changkyun watched as Taeyeon made his hair come alive. She pushed his hair upwards, combing the sides. Taeyeon wiggled her eyebrows as he took a selfie to send to Hyungwon. “I can guarantee you'll get a boyfriend within a week with how good you look.” 

“If only it was that easy noona but if it does, I'll tell you all about it.” Changkyun waited until Taeyeon was finished before getting up, stretching his arms before facing Taeyeon. “And before you tell me, yes I'll pass your business card around to those who ask.” He held out his hand as Taeyeon handed him a big stack of cards, patting him with her other hand. “Good boy, now get going before you're late. Tell Hyungwon to invite me to dinner, I want to discuss business with him.”

Changkyun nodded as he waved Taeyeon goodbye, thankful that her shop was fifteen minutes away (by foot) from the cafe his classmates were at. He slipped on some earbuds and turned on his playlist, enjoying the sun as he people watched. Sometimes he got inspiration from outfits people wore or even the animals they had. Crossing the street, Changkyun reached the cafe and glanced inside to see his study group hidden away in the best corner of the cafe, where the soft couches and love seats were. Shouldering his backpack, Changkyun called out to his peers. “I have arrived.” 

Minah glanced up from her textbook as Changkyun spoke, running her hand through her hair as he sat down across from her. “Finally arrived huh? Only twenty minutes late but it's better than not showing up at all. Nice hair” Changkyun tilted his head, showing off his hair. “Good hair like this takes time. Did you guys order?” Chanmi shook her head as she handed him a usb. “We were waiting for you since the barista likes you the best.” 

“Please tell me isn't not Raina. Please anybody but her.” Chanmi rose an eyebrow, answering Changkyun's pleas. He shoved his face into his hands, “Why do you all hate me, she's so crazy.” Jaebum smirked, patting Changkyun's shoulder. “Face it bro, you look fine and the girl knows it. Who did the hair though? I was thinking of going dark.” Changkyun pulled out the small stack of business cards Taeyeon had given him and passed them out, taking a sheet of paper from Momo when he got to her. “Taeyeon is one of the best there is and I wouldn't trust my hair with anyone else. Is this the drink order Momo?” 

“Yeah just don't forget that Yoochan needs almond milk and that I want extra whipped cream.” 

Changkyun folded the paper and shoved into his pocket. “You're so high maintenance Momo, I'll make sure they drown your drink in whipped cream.” Minah rolled her eyes and pushed the money collected for the drinks towards Changkyun. “Here pretty boy.” He glanced down at the pitiful amount of won on the table and waved them off, “I got it. Drinks are on me but next time I get to choose who orders if Raina is at the register.” 

“Deal.” Changkyun winked, making his way to the register. He sighed as Raina perked up at the sight of him. Now Raina was a nice girl but she was a little crazy when it came to trying to impress Changkyun. And it didn't help that she had spilled many a drink on him. He smiled weakly at her before pretending to look at the menu board, shifting from foot to foot before finally ordering. Raina brushed her hair back behind her ear while giving Changkyun what she though was a sultry smile. “Hey Changkyun, how are you today?” Changkyun gave Raina a weak smile, “It's going good.” He held up his list, using it as an excuse to not look at Raina as he gave her their orders. “For the second latte, make sure that gets almond milk and extra whip cream for the hot chocolate.” He crumpled the paper and shoved it back into his pants, taking out his wallet as Raina rang him up. “Anything else? Then it'll be 73,421.83.” 

He handed over his debit card, glancing over his wallet as Raina swiped his card and handed it back to him with the receipt. Changkyun slipped the card back into his wallet before accepting the waiting buzzer, waving at Raina before going back to the table. He plopped down and scratched his head, throwing the buzzer onto the table. “Drinks are paid for and here's the buzzer. So while we wait what are we working on?” Yoochan held up his physics notes, a pout on his face. “I still have questions over the motion lab example you did on yesterday.” Mina nodded, holding up her notes as well. “I was trying to work some examples in the textbook but it was a little different that how you explained it.” Minah jumped in, her math textbook in her arms. “After that I need some help with some problems we were assigned as homework. I can't figure shit out since our professor is a piece of shit at explaining.” 

The buzzer rattled against the table and Changkyun sighed. “Alright let me get the drinks first and then we'll get started.” He glanced up to see a tray of drinks waiting for him so Changkyun worked fast, taking the tray and thanking the heavens as Raina was busy with another customer. He left the buzzer behind as he returned to the table, distributing the drinks before sitting back down. “Alright let me go over the motion example I made from yesterday step by step and write down any questions you have.”

So Changkyun described the example he had made where the cars collided into each other, the different sets of collisions based on whether the cars had playdoh or wooden balls taped to the front of them. He made sure that they knew the formulas, the units, and how friction came into play. Mina and Yoochan looked pensive and Changkyun winced at how lost Hyosung looked before an idea came to him. He related the collisions to baseball, her favorite sport. “Just think about when the ball collides into the pitcher's mitt.” And from there Hyosung caught on. Changkyun drank deeply from his coffee as he finished up, ready for their questions. 

Thankfully, the only questions were from Mina about the textbook examples so he glanced over the page she had bookmarked, checking with how she did her work before circling where she went wrong. “You messed up here and it threw off the rest of your calculations. Don't forget your units because it'll help you keep track.” 

“Any other questions?” When nobody said anything, Changkyun went ahead and put away his physics textbook, pulling out a notebook full of math formulas and examples. But before he could say a word Hyosung slammed her hand down. “Before you move onto math and end this study session, I must know about your brother. You wouldn't tell us anything except that he works often. So spill.” Knowing Hyosung wouldn't let the issue go, Changkyun gave in. “His name is Hyungwon, he's a model and no he's not interested.” Hyosung groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes dramatically. “The good looking ones are always models. Do you have any of his pictures?”

“Of course I do but I'll only show you them if you stop asking about him.” He scrolled through his phone, digging through his gallery for a good photo of Hyungwon from a photoshoot that was already out. He didn't need to get in trouble for sharing pictures from a shoot that hadn't been released yet. He set his phone down on the table, flipping it around so that they could all see. “Here's a selfie from a shoot a couple of months ago. I think the theme was vogue so they had him wearing some weird jacket thing that went down to his knees and some ugly sandals but at least his make up was good.” 

The group, even with Changkyun's comments, were shocked at how gorgeous Hyungwon was, even if it was a selfie that was taken in the ugly lightening. The intense eyeshadow and the amount of skin Hyungwon's chest was showing off, it made Seungah sigh, “Damn, he's totally gay isn't he? Nobody looks that good unless they're gay or completely confident with their own skin.”

Changkyun raised an eyebrow, “Well aren't you the smartest of the group? Yes he's gay. He's one of the few public models that doesn't hide his orientation and he's feminine enough that nobody calls him out on it. He gets plenty of work so everything works out.” 

“Why don't you become a model with him? You have the looks.” Yoochan nodded, sipping his latte. “He could definitely get you popular in a couple of months.” Waving his hand, Changkyun dismissed that notion. “It's not my style.” And if Changkyun was being honest, nor was it Hyungwon's style. But his hyung never really had a chance to figure out what he really wanted to do in life. “Modeling takes up too much time that I really don't have.”

“I see.” The group grew silent as Hyosung swiped to the next picture, finding a sexy photo of Hyungwon winking at the camera. She pushed the phone back to Changkyun before sighing in disgust. “Why can't the hotties ever be straight and attainable?”

Changkyun snorted, pocketing his phone. “Being straight is so boring when you can experience some good fun.” Momo wiggled her eyebrows, curling her finger at Hyosung. “Come over to the dark side, we have makeovers and orgies at sleepovers.” She winked as the group bursted out into laughter, Changkyun shaking his head. He checked the clock behind Minah and coughed, getting rid of the last bit of laughter. “Alright that's enough of that, we still have math to do before I have to leave at twelve.” 

Chanmi tilted her head as she reached for her pen. “What are you going to do at twelve?” 

“I'm going to have lunch with hyung and then I have work to do.” He didn't elaborate about the songs he had to finish or the equipment he had to pack, nor did he talk about the new studio he was moving in tomorrow. He didn't want them to know about his underground rapping until he was well established. Moving his math textbook in front of him, Changkyun pointed at it. “So let's get to work.” 

– 

Throwing down his pen and pushing aside his empty coffee cup, Changkyun stretched his body. His hand came up to stifle a yawn as he settled down in his chair. He was finally done, having answered all the questions his classmates had to throw at him. He watched as Chanmi rolled her shoulders, her hands straightening her papers. “Any questions? I'm going to be busy for the rest of the day so I won't be able to answer anything until tomorrow.” 

Seungah shook her head, flicking her hair away from her mouth. “Nah I think you explained everything good. I wish you were my professor though because Mrs. Lee rambles on so much that I lose track of what she's trying to teach.” Changkyun shrugged his shoulders, chuckling at her comment. “It's a gift after tutoring enough college students. I'm basically an assistant teacher at this rate.” Throwing his trash away, Changkyun checked his phone to see a text from Hyunwoo. “Anyways my ride is here, gotta go.” 

Changkyun left, waving his hand goodbye as he glanced out to see Hyunwoo in his car. He slung his backpack into Hyunwoo's backseat before climbing into the passenger's seat. “Hey hyung, thanks for picking me up. I don't know why Hyungwon hyung chose a restaurant so far away.” Hyunwoo shook his head, car moving away from the cafe. “You know your hyung is such a foodie. This does gives me a chance to ask you what you wanted to work on come Tuesday. We could just go to the gym but I have a suggestion if you're up to it?”

Changkyun hummed, leaning against Hyunwoo's shoulder, liking how warm his hyung was. Hyunwoo chuckled, quickly patting Changkyun's head before turning back to the road. “Well I was thinking about swimming. It's an activity that really works the body and can really tone you. And I can easily train you in it since it's my specialty.” Changkyun thought over Hyunwoo's suggestion, liking the sound of swimming. Changkyun wasn't a bad swimmer and he quite enjoyed being in the water, the water giving him a sense of calmness that he couldn't achieve in his bathtub. “I like it. So every other Tuesday how about we do an hour of weights and then we'll go swimming for the rest of the time?”

Hyunwoo smiled, his eyes disappearing as he agreed. “That sounds good. We'll tone your body and make sure you're in shape in case something happens. You do know when your brother gets a second in command and you finish school, we'll be training you seriously. Weapons, business, and combat. The whole menu. Has Hyungwon asked you what you would like to specialize in?”

“Not yet.” Hyunwoo pulled over, parking near a taco truck. He glanced over to Changkyun, who was thinking. “Well we'll have to see what you're good at when we get serious. Tell Hyungwon that I'll busy until our deal tonight so if he needs me, tell him to use Sojin.” 

Changkyun grinned, “Ok hyung. Stay safe ok and I'll see you later.” Hyunwoo patted Changkyun's hair before he got out of the car and Hyunwoo drove off, a small cloud of dirt kicking up. Changkyun rolled his shoulders as he found Hyungwon already devouring a taco. “You couldn't even wait for me? I'm only a couple minutes late.” Hyungwon licked his lips of any grease there and smiled, “Well I couldn't resist the smell. You're just in time because the food is hot and fresh. Here's yours. ” Hyungwon pushed a basket of four tacos to Changkyun, as well as a bottle of coke. He glanced over Changkyun's hair, liking what he saw. “ I see Taeyeon did a good job. How was your study group?”

“Yeah I like it. I'm glad she was able to basically read my mind and put it on my head. They were super curious about you and they wouldn't leave me alone until I told them about you. Hyosung was lamenting that you were basically gay, single, and super hot. So all in all, a good session.” Changkyun ran his hand through his hair, fluffing it out. “How are your new captains?” 

Hyungwon nodded his head, biting down on a taco and chewing before winking. “I like the girls, they're a real spitfire. With some good training, they'll be one of our deadliest.” Changkyun sipped his coke as Hyungwon described his new captains, mindlessly nibbling on his tacos. “Well I'm glad you found two more promising captains, I can't wait until they become mine. By the way Hyunwoo hyung said he was going to be busy until your little get to together tonight. So if you need something, to call Sojin noona.”

“I don't think I'll need him but good to know.” Licking his fingers, Hyungwon wiped his hands off on a napkin and started on another taco. “Are you going to be working on music and packing up for your studio? Do you want any help?” Changkyun shook his head. “Thanks hyung but I have it covered. I don't have much to pack and I'll be mostly working on my raps tonight before heading out. But I did choose what kind of car I wanted.” 

Changkyun tapped on his phone, pulling up a picture of a SUV. “I glanced around the website Sojin sent me and this caught my eye. It's got the latest features and I was thinking of getting it in black. What do you think?” Hyungwon glanced at the picture, liking how the car looked. “I think you'll look good in it. You'll get a lot of attention and that's a good thing. Just let Sojin know and she'll get it ready for you. Are you going to shop for more equipment?”

“I would like to go shopping for a couple more things. I think Sojin has my studio decked out so I'm just looking for some more decorations. I was also thinking of having Sojin install a security system in case something happens.” Hyungwon liked the idea of having a security camera in Changkyun's studio, being able to see if something happened to him. “Sounds good. Do you mind if I have access to your studio? As well as Hyunwoo and Sojin?” Changkyun knew Hyungwon was only asking for safety reasons and honestly, it warmed Changkyun's heart knowing his hyung was so invested in knowing he was safe all the time. “Of course hyung, I expect you to show up every once and a while. Your voice would be great in song of my songs.” 

Hyungwon hummed, “We'll see about that. So you just plan to work on your music for the rest of the day before your performance?” Changkyun nodded, polishing off his tacos before sipping his coke. “Yeah, since I have a good couple of hours I'll be able to get some work done. I have this one song that's been bothering me so hopefully I'll be able to figure out what's wrong with it. I feel like it's the pacing but then there are a couple of words that I wish I could express better.” 

Hyungwon patted Changkyun's hand, knowing how much Changkyun thought hard about his words. “You'll figure it out. If not, I can listen to it and try to help. You know I'm not the best but I can try.” 

“Thanks hyung.” Changkyun burped, using his hand to be polite as Hyungwon wiped his hands on a napkin before pushing the scraps of his food away. He stretched his body out as Hyungwon answered some texts on his phone, his mind thinking about the lyrics he was writing. His thumb played with Hyungwon's fingers while Hyungwon suddenly had a phone call, his face looking annoyed. Changkyun figured something was going wrong and Hyungwon had to fix it. He watched as Hyungwon huffed, his teeth biting his lower lip, a habit he had when he really wanted to cuss someone out. Hyungwon pulled his ear away from his phone, disconnecting his call before rubbing his temples. He glanced at Changkyun before sighing, rubbing his temples even more. 

“What happened?”

Hyungwon pouted, his hands clutching his phone. “It seems that there's going to be a little change in captains for tonight. A group of fifteen decided to book Hyuna's restaurant for the rest of the day so she's busy rescheduling reservations and making sure nothing goes wrongp. So now I have to text Sojin to get J. Hope since I know BamBam is sure to be busy.” Hyungwon brought his phone up to his mouth and sent Sojin a voice message before rolling his neck. “I'm going to have to meet with Sojin to make sure nothing else go wrong. Are you ready to go? I'll drop you off at home.” 

Changkyun nodded, throwing away their trash as Hyungwon ordered some tacos to go. He ran his tongue over his teeth, making sure he had nothing in them as Hyungwon came back with a white paper bag. “For Sojin noona?” Hyungwon nodded, unlocking the car. “Yeah she loves this place and getting her food will lessen her stress about changing things tonight.”

“Will you have to attend the drop? Are you bringing out the masks?” Hyungwon got into the driver's seat, waiting until Changkyun got in next to him before speeding them away from the taco truck. “It's not that serious and you know I love being famous for having no face.”

“Hyung our clan is famous for our captains using masks and our grunts not having one. You know it speaks volume to other clans.” Hyungwon's eyes narrowed as he went around an extremely slow car, “Grunts are expendable, my captains are not. When you start your training, I'll have your mask made.” 

“What theme are you going with? You call me puppy all the time, so does Hyunwoo.”

“It'll probably be a wolf. Or a prince, to match my king mask. I'll think about it.” Hyungwon rolled his neck as Changkyun checked his phone, seeing he had a couple of texts from various classmates asking him questions. As Hyungwon rambled on about the different masks Changkyun could have, Changkyun answered what questions he could answer without having a pen and paper in front of him. He also rejected what little party invites he got, stating he was busy while trying not to seem rude.

“Well it seems you're popular.” Changkyun sighed, leaning his head back while looking at Hyungwon's smirking face. “Am I wrong?” Changkyun shook his head, slipping his phone into his jacket pocket as he reached to changed the radio music. “No but it's not even people just wanting to talk, it's mostly people wanting help. I did get invited to some parties but I'm not up to it right now. Maybe when spring break comes around I'll party.” 

Hyungwon licked his lips, nodding his head as he exited the highway. “Well when you do you know what has to happen.” Changkyun rolled his eyes in amusement, chucking as Hyungwon took a sharp right. “I get two 'friends' to accompany me and I get picked up by Hyunwoo, no exceptions.” 

Hyungwon patted Changkyun's head as he parked the car, stretching while still in his seatbelt. “I've trained you well. Now have fun with packing while I go harass Sojin. I'll be wearing my headset if you need something. Love you see you for dinner.” 

Changkyun smiled, “Love you too hyung.” Changkyun left Hyungwon's car, not looking back as he made his way inside. He bopped his head to the elevator music, humming the tune as he went inside the apartment. He took the cardboard boxes by his door and took them inside, making sure he had tape and scissors before he went to his room. He dropped the boxes next to his bed as he flopped down, sighing in relief at the soft blanket caressing his face. He thought about taking a small nap but he wanted to get straight into making music so he got up, grabbing the boxes and constructed them. With the boxes done, he went over to his bookcase.

He set his phone, having it connect to his wireless stereo to have some background music as he glanced at his bookcase. His bookcase was meticulously organized, each row was labeled and packed full. The first row was full of textbooks, old ones that needed to be donated or just thrown out. Changkyun slipped the textbooks from the shelf, throwing them on his bed in piles. He took his books and put them into sacks, labeling the bags before setting them outside his room by his door. 

The next shelf was full of manga he collected, along with any anime he bought. Truthfully he didn't have a lot since he bought most of his collection online but there were certain volumes he liked to have on hand. He moved the contents up to the first shelf, removing the labels so he could make new ones. Then came his last two shelves, filled with music and albums, all things that gave him inspiration when he created his raps. 

Changkyun filled the first cardboard box with journals, ones that were filled with various lyrics that he really wanted a proper studio to make and mix. Then came the cds and vinyl records he had that he liked to sample from, happy that he could probably make them faster in the new studio. With three boxes filled, Changkyun used the last box to pack up his external hard drive, the one that had all of his current projects in it. He carefully wrapped the hard drive in newspaper before adding it to the box. A few more things went into the box such as a couple of changes of clothes, knowing he would probably spend much of his time there. 

Changkyun dusted his hands off as he taped up his boxes, grabbing a sharpie to label them before moving them aside. With his packing done Changkyun checked his phone, the time nearing four in the afternoon. The time really flew as he finished packing, making a mental note to text Sojin that he was done and the boxes were waiting. He took his phone, switching the playlist off as he picked his laptop off his desk. 

With about two hours left until he had to leave to have dinner with Hyungwon, Changkyun got right to work. He had two songs he wanted to finish before tonight's performance, Fly and No Exit. Both songs came about when he was pent up about dating, each different in both beat and lyrics but still over him having someone close. He worked with Fly first as the beat needed some work connecting with the lyrics. There was something missing with how the bridge came up and Changkyun winced when he listened to the music with a fresh ear. For the next hour Changkyun focused on the best, using his hand to tap out the tempo. He was able to switch sections of the song as he sang the lyrics out loud, his head bobbing to the rhythm. It flowed better then the other day when he had been stressed over Minah and her stupid project. 

He moved on to No Exit, knowing it was just an issue of just recording the lyrics he had on his phone. Changkyun reached under his bed to pull out his microphone, a cheap one that worked just fine so he could record how he sounded. He plugged the mic into his laptop and started recording, taking his time and making sure he didn't make any big mistakes as he did whole takes. He didn't want to cut much, knowing he was going to rerecord all his songs. Listening to the different takes, Changkyun saw where he made the most mistakes and marked them down so he could change them later. And by the time he did five takes, it was time to take a shower so he could be nice and clean for later. 

Changkyun skipped over the t-shirts as he wanted to make a good impression on his fellow rappers. A red turtleneck stood out to him, with zippers on the arms. It was a turtleneck he usually wore when he wanted to make a statement, usually paired with his leather pants and biker jacket. 

He nodded, liking the combination so he pulled it out, placing the clothes on the bed before heading into the bathroom. As he undressed he noticed how hairy his legs were which wasn't a good mixture with leather pants unless he wore baby powder in his pants. So with razor and shaving cream in hand, Changkyun took care of his legs quick and efficiently as he turned on the shower to warm the water up. Personally Changkyun liked it when his legs were hairless, it was just a sexy feeling when he brushed his legs against his silky covers. He reached into the shower, the water slightly too hot against his fingers. Cleaning his razor and putting it back in place, Changkyun stepped into the shower.

Squirting some shampoo into his hands, Changkyun bent his head so he could wet his hair. The hot water felt amazing against his muscles, just like a mini massage as he arched his back. He lathered his hair, making sure he got every crevice before rinsing and leaning down to open his body wash. He scrubbed his body well, taking care of his armpits and back while making sure his ass was fresh and clean. He hated a sweaty ass when it came wearing leather.

Changkyun finished off his shower, brushed his teeth, and dried off. He turned on his phone to check the time, wincing at how late it was getting. He skipped underwear, tucking himself in gently into his leather pants. He stood there for a minute, debating on whether to add a little baby powder or not. Changkyun sucked in his teeth, hesitating before grabbing the small bottle. He lifted the edge of his pants, tilting the bottle enough so he could add just the tiniest amount. Moving on, Changkyun slipped on a gray turtleneck. Applying deodorant, Changkyun shrugged on his biker jacket, clipping on his wallet chain and putting his wallet into his pants. 

With his outfit all done, Changkyun pulled out his eyeshadow. It was a custom made palette that he had ordered, full of smoky and bold shadows. He did a subtly smoky eye, adding a tiny bit of glitter to the center of his eye. With a bit of foundation and concealer, Changkyun's face looked nice and plastic. He added a bit of red lip tint and used a setting spray to finish. 

Changkyun dabbed on some cologne and slipped his phone into his pocket. On his desk was a usb with the songs he had to perform tonight plus a couple of extras if people wanted to hear more. With everything on him, Changkyun left the apartment and caught a cab to the restaurant. 

He ignored the cabbie as he babbled on about the recent news since politics weren't his thing. He paid the cab the expensive price and made sure he didn't leave anything behind. He entered the restaurant, spotting Hyungwon after glancing around. His brother had chosen a secluded booth, far away from the crowd but close enough to see everything. He sat down across from Hyungwon, who was sipping on his white wine. “Hey hyung.”

“How was packing?” Hyungwon set down his phone and focused on Changkyun, who sipped his water. “Not bad, it was less than I thought it would be. I made some progress with my music so overall, not a bad afternoon. How about you? I know you had to talk to Sojin about Hyuna noona.” 

“J.Hope is replacing Hyuna so we'll be fine for tonight.” Hyungwon paused for a minute as their waiter came by, setting up their table with samgyupsal and kimchi stew. With the meat cooking in minutes and the stew bubbling in front of them, Hyungwon twisted open his rice. “By the way Changkyun I wanted to speak to you about Hoseok.”

“The guy you're seeing?” Changkyun shook up his doshirak as Hyungwon grabbed the food scissors. “What about him? Did you find out something bad about him?” Hyungwon sighed and started cutting up the meat, “No, he's a good guy. But I wanted to ask you what you thought about me dating seriously. He could become your brother in law if there's nothing wring with him.”

Changkyun chuckled, leaning over to hold Hyungwon's hand. “I'm excited that you might have found someone that you really like. I know you have problems finding people that really interest you and that you can trust when they're not involved with our gang. I honestly can't wait to meet him and spill everything embarrassing about you.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes and flipped the meat. 

“You're my only embarrassment. Anyways thank you for being supportive. I might invite him to make kimchi with us on Thursday since that's the ultimate domestic activity for families to do. Then we can have a good dinner with the fresh kimchi. But first Sojin is giving me the background info tonight so I'll be able to make a decision tonight.” 

“Sounds good. Be safe tonight since I know Jungkook is taking down that clan with the police. I don't need anything incriminating you.” Hyungwon hummed, drinking from his stew. “Thanks Kyunnie. I'll be fine. I'll be staying at home, doing paperwork so you don't have to worry.” Changkyun adjusted his turtleneck, slightly getting hot. Running his hand through his hair, he suddenly thought about Taeyeon. “Oh hyung Taeyeon wanted to talk business with you, I forgot to tell you about it during lunch.”

“Did she tell you what she wanted?” Hyungwon wiped his fingers off before drinking some cola. “I'm guessing she wants to expand her hair salon business which would be profitable depending where she wants to open it.” 

“She didn't say much, just that she wanted to talk business over dinner.” Changkyun moved aside his empty rice bowl and leaned in to grab the last piece of meat, wrapping it in kimchi before also picking up a slice of garlic and snugging it into the wrap. Checking his phone, he noticed it was getting closer to nine. “Ugh it's almost time for me to leave. I'm nervous and excited, just all in one.” 

Hyungwon sipped the last dregs of his soup. “You got your card? Use it when you need to and let me know when you're finished. Where's the show gonna be tonight?” 

Changkyun yawned, covering his mouth with his arm as Hyungwon paid their bill. “It's at a local club down in Gangnam so I'll take the subway there. It's near that weird crepe place we didn't like, you know the one that added corn and carrots to their batter.” They gave each other looks, shuddering at the thought of vegetables in crepe batter. “I'll let you know when I get there.” Hyungwon rubbed his eyes. “Don't drink too much and if you need something, call me. I can have seven soldiers guarding you within the hour.” 

Changkyun hugged his brother as he rose from the booth, “I love it when you go protective. It makes me feel safe when you promise dozens of men in order to protect me. Just gun drawn, sunglasses on. Movie-esque.”

“Just go before I end up actually sending someone with you.” Changkyun blew a kiss at Hyungwon before skedaddling, practically skipping his way to call a taxi to take him to the train station. The cab ride was painless, the driver not really talking due to how late it was. The nightlife of Seoul was always so fascinating to Changkyun, with the dozens of people roaming, shopping, and eating. The neon lights and brightly lit shops were just his style of excitement. He paid the driver and put in his earbuds, turning on his music while he bought his ticket, rolling his neck as he shuffled his way down the stairs. 

There weren't many people around so Changkyun didn't feel awkward sitting down on a bench, waiting for the train. He kept an eye on the clock above him, knowing if he missed the train he'd have to wait even more to catch the next one. He didn't like being late at all, it gave others a bad impression of him. Which didn't help since he was trying to be a cool rapper. 

The train finally came, prompting Changkyun to line up to enter the train. He glanced around, trying to find a seat that wasn't surrounded by people. There was a lone seat in the corner so Changkyun sat down, sliding down in the seat until he was comfortable slouching. Changkyun started watching cat videos on his phone. He had a couple of his favorites bookmarked so all he had to do was find the folder and start watching. And with nobody disturbing him, the ride went by smoothly. He could barely believe it when he heard his stop over the intercom. That was fast. Changkyun waited until all the elderly left first, making sure nobody needed help before he caught a taxi to the club. 

Changkyun had heard a lot about Newton, the club where everything was happening. It was a popular club where everyone went when they wanted to find new talent, where the newbies made their debut underground or not. All of his favorite rappers had started their career at Newton and if Changkyun was picked up or even just noticed at Newton, that would definitely make his day. There wasn't a line outside, just bright neon lights and a flyer saying it was closed for a private party. Slipping on his jacket and ignoring the flyer, Changkyun went towards the side entrance. 

He tapped on the door, waiting until the little window slid to the right. A pair of smoky eyes narrowed their eyes at him before a feminine voice spoke. “Password?”

Changkyun smirked, “Joker.” He had to admit that the password was a little weird but the door opened and a very pretty woman welcomed him in. “Hey the party's barely just started, grab a drink and enjoy the performances.” 

And it might have been due to the serious aura of his brother and the gang gave off when they were doing business, but Changkyun felt right at home. Going over to the bar, Changkyun got a random cocktail, making sure it was low in alcohol content before wandering. He knew Hyungwon stationed a bodyguard nearby so he wasn't worried as he leaned against a wall, watching the other rappers. It was interesting to see how everyone interacted with each, the veterans and the rookies. The difference in confidence was obvious, how it seeped out of their movements. That kind of confidence was something that Hyungwon had drilled into his skin the moment Changkyun knew he was going to inherit the gang and he had to admit it was an important skill to have. 

Suffice to say there were small groups scattered around, the majority surrounded by the stage. He didn't feel like mingling yet so Changkyun scoured where to sit. Avoiding the rappers who looked busy with others and those who didn't look like they wanted company, Changkyun saw that nobody sat down at the booths to the right side of the stage. Ditching his mostly empty drink at the bar, Changkyun flagged down a waiter. It was a bit amusing to see the waiter have a pinched face, obviously not impressed with the audience he was serving tonight. So Changkyun decided to make a very solid (and flashy) impression. Adjusting his jacket, he brushed back his hair. “Hey how much is it to sit in the booth?” 

The waiter glanced down at his outfit, his mouth twitching into a small frown. “It's three hundred for the night. Is that ok?” 

Changkyun pulled out his wallet, showing the decent stack of large bills briefly before handing over his black card to the waiter. “Here. Book all the booths for the evenings and give refunds to everyone who's already rented one out. Also open a tab and put everyone's drinks on it. Keep this anonymous and let your manager know if there's any accidents, I'll cover them.” 

Changkyun smirked as the waiter gaped at him, taking his card with shaking hands. He knew what kind of thoughts were running through the waiter's head and even thought he hated making a statement or using his status as the clan's heir, it was satisfying. “If anyone starts asking questions, make an announcement that an anonymous benefactor named X has covered the cost of everything tonight.” 

When the waiter heard the name X, recognition dawned on him and Changkyun shook his head in amusement. Why shouldn't he recognize the name when his clan was one of the best around. Nobody got to use that name unless they were someone important. Quickly the waiter bowed and left, letting Changkyun sit down and enjoy the plush seats. 

He was sure the waiter was probably gossiping to his boss that they had a member of the X clan, which showed because in minutes the staff were acting differently. There were suddenly two bartenders, mixing drinks and passing them around to confused rappers and their guests. The quiet chattering suddenly went up a notch and Changkyun saw a man appear on stage. He was obviously the manager, addressing the situation before people grew suspicious. “My fellow rappers, an anonymous benefactor has decided to sponsor tonight's get together. All food and drinks are free and seats are open for enjoyment.”

The manager bowed, the crowd cheering as they received the good news. Changkyun felt someone at his side so he turned to see the waiter, handing over his black card along with an expensive bottle of vodka. “Compliments from my boss. It's for your leader as a gift, is this acceptable?” Nodding, Changkyun took the bottle and slipped it into his backpack. “My brother loves this brands so I'm sure he'll enjoy it well.” 

“Brother?” The waiter paled as Changkyun winked, putting his finger up to his lips. Nodding, the waiter left, probably going to make his manager panic even more. He hid his backpack under the booth, slouching as he turned back to his phone. He could hear the booths around him filling up, people exclaiming how soft the seats were. Changkyun rolled his neck as a different waiter brought him a drink, bowing to him before leaving. He knew the drink was clean, or else it wouldn't have arrived to him. It was a delicious drink, tasting like pineapple and coconut. 

“It's wild that someone decided to pay for everything when Mad Clown hyung is such a penny pincher and only rented out the place. It worked out well.” 

Glancing up, Changkyun saw a bright red haired man, eyes sharply focused on Changkyun as he sat down, cheeks showing off dimples as he spoke. Changkyun felt like he recognized the young man but his mind stayed blank. He shrugged his shoulders, putting his arm around the back of the booth so he could lean without being obvious. “Someone really wanted to make an impression, I mean paying for everything certainly does. And I'm sure Mad Clown hyung is ecstatic that someone is paying for the rest. It's not like being an underground rapper pays much unless you become an idol rapper, which then strips the individuality from your music until you get big enough to have the same freedom we have now.” 

The boy nodded, setting down his own drink. “True. I'm sure everyone wants to be like Mad Clown hyung though. He's beaten the odds and is doing very well for himself.” He held out his hand for Changkyun to take. “I'm Lee Jooheon but you can call me Jooheon.” 

Changkyun shook Jooheon's hand. “I'm Im Changkyun but you can call me IM or Daniel, either works for me.” 

“Cool is this your first time?” Licking his lips, Changkyun shoved his phone into his jacket. “Yeah I'm just getting started with the whole underground scene. You?” 

“Nah it's my second year rapping.” Jooheon gave Changkyun half a smile, “I'm not too big right now but my soundcloud is bumping. I'm J-Honey on soundcloud.” 

It clicked in Changkyun's head, his body acting before his brain could catch up. He pointed at Jooheon and gasped, his body jumping in his seat. “Oh my god, I fucking love your work! Especially Red Carpet. That sick beat is orgasmic and the lyrics, amazing.” Changkyun didn't bother mentioning the fact that he was probably Jooheon's biggest donor. “Don't get me started on Underwater. Do you mind if I call you hyung?” 

Jooheon blushed, scratching his cheek as he basked in Changkyun's compliment. “Sure that's fine. Do you have anything published online?” Changkyun shook his head, motioning to his jacket pocket. “I plan to drop my music just before I perform, so that way I can gauge how many people from tonight look me up.” 

“That's bold isn't it?” Jooheon was shocked but Changkyun wasn't fazed. “Yeah but I'm not betting my whole career tonight. I'm busking later on in the week but for now I just want to see who here boosts me to their audience.”

“I like it.” Jooheon was impressed with Changkyun's thoughts. The thought of dropping songs before performing in front of an audience who really knew their stuff, was smart and clever. It was a good way of seeing who liked Changkyun's work. Downing his drink, Jooheon checked his phone and showed Changkyun the time, wiggling his eyebrows. “Showtime.” 

Changkyun leaned back, pushing his empty drink to the side as a waiter came up, subtly giving him a new drink. He was glad Jooheon was focused on his phone as he nodded in thanks. The lights dimmed and the crowd clapped, the lights shining intensely towards the stage. As the first rapper appeared on stage, Changkyun took notes. He used his phone to write down anything that he thought would be useful for future songs. He also wrote down which rappers he liked so he could look up more of their music later. 

Eventually it was Jooheon's turn and Changkyun gave him a high five, “Get it bro.” Jooheon winked and left to go backstage as the rapper on stage started winding down. Changkyun sipped his drink as the lights turned red. Jooheon came out with his hood covering his head, little horns on top. His face looked wild as he belt out a long note, shocking everyone including Changkyun, which was such a smart move. God, Changkyun was so hyped up with how beast Jooheon was going, stirring the fire in the crowd and in himself. 

Changkyun recorded all of Jooheon's performance, feeling like such a fanboy by the time he finished. But either way he organized the videos, labeling them before adding them to his Dropbox. He went ahead and ordered a refreshing cocktail for Jooheon to sip on when he came back. And not even five minutes later, Jooheon sat across from him, toweling off his face as he chugged a water bottle. He looked sweaty and exhausted but Changkyun knew he was satisfied with his performance. “So what did you think?” 

With a straight face, Changkyun gave him an honest response. “It was like watching porn. You almost made me pop a boner from how good it was.” Jooheon snorted, smacking Changkyun's arm while his other hand covered half his face. “Oh my god shut up. But thanks.”

Changkyun nodded, giving Jooheon a peace symbol. “No problem, let me know if you need more compliments because I can go for days.” Jooheon stifled his laughter as Changkyun winked, pushing the cocktail in front of Jooheon. “For you, drink up.” Jooheon took a gulp, thankful for the drink. Changkyun turned back to the stage and listened to the new rapper on stage, frowning when he heard the tone of voice. It was a bit nasally and Changkyun didn't like it, but he did like the guy's style. He leaned over, whispering. “I wonder where he gets his leather pants from. They look pretty nice on his thighs.” 

Jooheon hummed, “I'm sure if you asked him, he would tell you. But they look pretty good. I'm interested in his shirt instead, those stripes are dope. I've been looking for that kind of style for a while.” Changkyun shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his phone, snapping a photo of the rapper. “I'll try my luck looking it up. If not, I can dm him later. You should look up the brand 'Zero'. It's pretty cheap and the patterns are lit.” 

“If it's cheap, I'll definitely check it out. This rapper is on a budget when it comes to clothes.” Jooheon paused, sighing. “Why are clothes so expensive? I want to look good but damn it when the good leather cost about 120,000 won.” 

Changkyun didn't say anything, knowing his outfit was probably worth a couple hundred thousand won. He felt bad that he kinda flaunted his wealth just to show off to a waiter but at the same time he was able to let everyone have fun without worrying about the money. And right in front of him was one of his favorite rappers and he had a chance to make a difference. A new friend in the making. Checking his phone, Changkyun winced at the bright light. It was almost one in the morning and it was almost time for Changkyun to perform, so he scrolled briefly through his soundcloud and published his songs. He glanced up at Jooheon and shook his phone at him. 

“Let me get your number and I'll introduce you to some good clothing stores. We could also catch some dinner tomorrow if you want.” 

Jooheon grinned, “How did you know I'm completely free tomorrow? Sounds like a plan. I totally know a good hamburger place that serves amazing ice cream shakes.” Jooheon leaned over and shared his number, even adding a selfie to Changkyun's phone. “When do you want to meet up?” Changkyun had to think about his schedule, knowing he had to check out his new studio and go have lunch with Sojin. “How about around three? I have a couple of things to do so I think I'll be done by three.” 

“Sounds good.” Jooheon rolled his neck, stretching his arms out. “When are you going on?” 

“In a little bit, I already uploaded my music. Honestly it's getting pretty late so after I perform I think I'm going to leave early. I've already seen most of the rappers I wanted to and I'm sure I'm not missing anything big.” Changkyun rubbed his eyes, carefully of his makeup. “This beautiful face needs all the sleep it can get.” Changkyun saw a movement out the corner of his eye, the waiter from earlier signaling him for his turn. He turned to Jooheon and grinned, “Well what do you know, it's my turn now. Watch me howl for the crowd.” 

Jooheon gave him a high five, whistling as he left. The techs backstage fixed him up, fitting him with a mic, telling him he had ten minutes until showtime. Changkyun took the time to check his makeup on his phone, smoothing out his eyeshadow and adding some more lip tint on. He looked up and waited for his cue to go on stage. 

As soon as he heard the sweet beats of 'Fly', he bursted on stage. Bringing the mic up to his face, he growled into it, and smirked at the loud whistles and hoots the crowd gave him. His confidence skyrocketed, making easy to roll his hips in the air and “let” his jacket slide down a shoulder. His body wasn't the greatest but his collarbones were pretty nice. It was only by accident that his jacket slid down both shoulders and he debated while rapping whether to keep it on. 

The answer came to him when he moved onto his next song, a hardcore rapping song he had made about the world and how seedy the underground was. His song spoke about the true power struggle-basically his future as a mafia heir, but they didn't know that. His jacket moved to hang off the mic stand, looking cool as Changkyun spat out curses and rhymes about the lingering doubt he had, the rage from the inability to truly follow his dreams. It was a song that dissected his future and glancing up at the audience, who all had awed faces on as he ended, it made him feel satisfied at baring his soul. 

As he bowed, grabbing his jacket of the stand, Changkyun saw Jooheon jumping in his seat. Leaving the stage and smiling at all the compliments from the nearby rappers, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. “Bro that was legit, like amazing. I swear half the audience fell in love with you.” Changkyun wiggling his eyebrows, reaching down to snag his backpack off the ground.

“Thanks hyung, I know I'm good.” Jooheon shoved Changkyun's shoulder, scoffing. “Good? Damn better than some of people here for sure. So are you going to head out now?” 

“Yeah pretty much. How much longer are you staying?” Jooheon hummed, checking his phone. It was almost two thirty and even though he wasn't doing much later, he did want to sleep before his roommate disturbed him. “Eh probably another thirty minutes. Any more and I think my roommate is going to blow up my phone with texts. I'm lucky he's busy studying grading papers right now or he'd be here with me, drunk off his rocks.”

He chuckled, “ Sounds like a fun guy. Text me the address of the restaurant and I'll be there.”

“Sounds cool. Do you mind if I bring my roommate? I have a feeling since it's his day off he's going to cling to me all day and I promised him we would have dinner together when we weren't so busy.” Jooheon massaged his temples as Changkyun snorted. “Yeah that's cool. I would bring my brother but he's busy working. Gotta make that cash money.” 

Jooheon held out a fist, waiting until Changkyun bumped his fist with his before making a shooing motion. “Alright bro get out of here before you end up falling asleep in the booth.” 

Changkyun held up his hands. “Alright alright I'm gone. Later.” 

Changkyun moved away from the booth, swerving around people until he reached the front door. Waiting for him was the manager who was wringing his hands in nervous circles. Thankfully nobody was watching him as he leaned against the coat closet, waiting for the man to speak.

“Was everything to your liking? If not let me fix it for you.” Changkyun waved him off, knowing one wrong word would probably give the man a heart attack. “Everything was fine, it's just time to leave now. Just charge everything to my card and I'll make sure my hyung gets his gift.”

Swallowing his fear, the manager nodded and bowed. “We hope you come back and bring your hyung with you on nights where we have fun events. We have good connections to alcohol distributors.” 

“I'll let him know.” He left the club, looking left and right. He wondered who was picking him up, knowing his bodyguard had already called for one of the members to come. And as if by magic, a car rolled up right in front of the club, the driver's side window rolling down. Changkyun smiled as he spotted Moonbyul noona in the driver's seat, winking at him. “Moonie noona! I haven't seen you since Hyungwon hyung lent you to Soyou noona's gang.” 

Changkyun hustled, getting into the passenger's seat. He set his backpack at his feet, being mindful of the vodka bottle. Moonbyul reapplied her lipstick as Changkyun buckled up, blending it so it wasn't harsh. “Ugh it was so troublesome helping her find the holes in her security detail. Her girls were so sloppy that I wondered how they passed her inspection. I trained her girls and then tested them. Now they're pretty good but I didn't think I'd be there for almost four months.” 

“So you pulled the boot camp act on them? If that happened to Hyungwon hyung, you know he'd send them to the mountains to train. And you know how hard the mountains are. He threatens to send me everytime I rebel against him. I hope I don't have to go when my training becomes serious.” 

Moonbyul scoffed, shaking her head as she pulled away from the club. “Those mountains are hell and he knows that. But yeah I whipped those girls into shape and I scolded Soyou but I think she's busy making business deals with stores to give them protection and advancing into construction.” 

Changkyun rolled his neck as Moonbyul changed the radio station. “Thanks for picking me up noona, did you hear anything about the weapons deal yesterday? I haven't gotten any texts from hyung or Sojin noona.” Moonbyul pouted, moving her hair away from her face. “Sorry kid, I just got into town four hours ago and spent it eating. I totally ate my weight in kimchi and rice.”

His phone didn't have any unread messages waiting for him so Changkyun rested his head against the window as Moonbyul described her trip. The heater in car slowly lulled Changkyun to doze off, his eyes closing and hands folding up in his lap. Moonbyul noticed the lack of response from Changkyun and glanced over, giggling when she saw his slumped over figure. She whistled softly, “He must be exhausted. Poor baby.” 

The ride to Hyungwon's apartment was silent minus the radio, which gave Moonbyul a nostalgic feeling. She remembered when Hyungwon brought Changkyun to meet the entire clan, presenting him as his eventually heir and adopted brother. He looked so meek and cute and Moonbyul had wanted to stuff him full of chicken. And now looking at him, Changkyun grew right into his skin. Moonbyul was so proud of him and when the time came, she would be at his beck and call. 

–

“Changkyun. Changkyun wake up. We're here and I have a party to attend to.” She shook Changkyun's shoulder, stifling a snort when Changkyun mumbled and burped himself awake. “Come on, get up CK it's bedtime for you.” Changkyun leaned over, getting a half hug from Moonbyul. “Thanks noona. Will I see you later or does Hyungwonnie hyung have another job for you?” 

Moonbyul shook Changkyun, placing her chin on top of his head. “I'm taking a little break so you'll be seeing me around. Now get inside before Hyungwon calls me.”

“Alright. Bye Moonie noona.” Changkyun hugged his backpack to his chest, almost tripping on the seatbelt as he climbed out. He caught himself on the door, hissing at the impact before clenching his fingers as he closed the door. He didn't watch Moonbyul drive off, instead getting inside the apartment complex quickly. The apartment was dark inside, the only light coming from a dimmed living room light, which Changkyun turned off as he toed off his shoes. 

As he climbed the stairs, he heard music coming from Hyungwon's room. Changkyun figured Hyungwon fell asleep listening to music and smiled, his hyung was so cute. Getting into his room, Changkyun threw his jacket on his desk, his backpack going right on top. His shirt and pants fell to the floor as he jumped into bed. The wire to charge his phone was hanging off his bedside table right next to a bottle of water, which he chugged before plugging in his phone. Not bothering to check for any messages, his head met his pillow, his eyes closing to the muted music from down the hall. Changkyun was dead to the world within minutes, dreaming of rapping on stage for thousands.

**Author's Note:**

> You can reach me at @SuJluver on Twitter or Eunhae606 on AFF


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